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Writer vs content editor

The differences between writers and content 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 a content editor. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, which is higher than the $61,694 average annual salary of a content editor.

The top three skills for a writer include work ethic, customer service and web content. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.

Writer vs content editor overview

WriterContent Editor
Yearly salary$66,143$61,694
Hourly rate$31.80$29.66
Growth rate4%-5%
Number of jobs13,93118,586
Job satisfaction55
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4244
Years of experience44

What does a writer do?

A writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.

What does a content editor do?

A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.

Writer vs content editor salary

Writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

WriterContent Editor
Average salary$66,143$61,694
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $107,000Between $41,000 And $91,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyAppleApple
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between writer and content editor education

There are a few differences between a writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:

WriterContent Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Writer vs content editor demographics

Here are the differences between writers' and content editors' demographics:

WriterContent Editor
Average age4244
Gender ratioMale, 46.2% Female, 53.8%Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%12%

Differences between writer and content editor duties and responsibilities

Writer example responsibilities.

  • Operate AP NEWSCENTER/ENPS and manage CNN feed services.
  • Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
  • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
  • Participate in roundtable discussions offering hot takes and opinions on NBA and NFL teams, players, and coaches.
  • Train all staff on using the CMS.
  • Place stories into CS3 InDesign pages.
  • Show more

Content editor example responsibilities.

  • Work with W3C standardize CSS to achieve design goals.
  • Coordinate and manage a team of photographers who work on NBA games throughout the league.
  • Identify, create and manage QA projects to improve data consistency and accuracy using SQL to extract data.
  • Manage editorial department by editing and publishing daily content for website and daily e-newsletter.
  • Develop SEO strategies to increase profitability and manage social media to spread brand awareness and bolster readership.
  • Develop social media content for different outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube channel and the blog's webpage.
  • Show more

Writer vs content editor skills

Common writer skills
  • Work Ethic, 18%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Web Content, 8%
  • Math, 7%
  • SEO, 5%
  • SQL, 3%
Common content editor skills
  • Digital Content, 8%
  • Web Content, 7%
  • Digital Marketing, 4%
  • WordPress, 4%
  • Video Content, 4%
  • Content Marketing, 4%

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