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The differences between writer and editors and copy editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a writer and editor and a copy editor. Additionally, a copy editor has an average salary of $62,599, which is higher than the $61,482 average annual salary of a writer and editor.
The top three skills for a writer and editor include web content, blog posts and press releases. The most important skills for a copy editor are proofreading, house style, and digital publishing.
| Writer And Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $61,482 | $62,599 |
| Hourly rate | $29.56 | $30.10 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 14,865 | 4,866 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Writing is not an easy task, so a Writer and an Editor must work together to deliver quality content. A writer's role is to gather information to create a structured written material that would serve its purpose, whether for recreational or informational. Moreover, it is the Editor's responsibility to oversee and examine what the Writer has produced. From this, the Editor will provide feedback, corrections or suggestions, and guidelines that the Writer can follow to improve the material.
The primary job of copy editors is to check for misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and consistency in typography, words, and style. They also act as fact-checkers, proofreaders, and project managers, overseeing the workflow and communicating with other departments. A copy editor's other duties and responsibilities include checking content for readability and compliance with editorial policies, rewriting text to improve readability and clarity, and arranging page layouts of articles, photos, and advertisements. Formal training is not required for this role, but copy editors generally have a firm grasp and love for the English language's proper usage.
Writer and editors and copy editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Writer And Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Average salary | $61,482 | $62,599 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $103,000 | Between $39,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between a writer and editor and a copy editor in terms of educational background:
| Writer And Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between writer and editors' and copy editors' demographics:
| Writer And Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0% | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |