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How Much Does an Editor Make?

An editor in the US earns a median salary of $77,920 a year, or $37.46 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $90,060, and the middle half earn between $57,300 and $106,100.

Median a year $77,920

Median an hour $37.46

Median a month $6,493

Average a year $90,060

Editor pay range

What editors earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile	A year	An hour
10th (lowest 10%)	$41,250	$19.83
25th	$57,300	$27.55
Median (50th)	$77,920	$37.46
75th	$106,100	$51.01
90th (top 10%)	$153,700	$73.90

The median is 53% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 91,690 people work as editors in the US.

After tax and by period

A week: $1,498
Every two weeks: $2,997
Twice a month: $3,247
A month: $6,493

At the median salary, before tax.

Take-home pay on $77,920 → Convert $77,920 to other periods →

Editor salary by state

Sorted by average pay. New York pays editors the most, at $116,740 a year on average.

State	Average	Median	Jobs	After tax
New York	$116,740	$101,480	16,800	After tax
California	$111,810	$98,030	14,830	After tax
District of Columbia	$109,290	$83,920	3,310	After tax
New Jersey	$107,030	$81,680	2,120	After tax
Connecticut	$95,580	$85,950	1,050	After tax
Massachusetts	$89,740	$83,170	3,100	After tax
Virginia	$89,740	$80,590	2,720	After tax
Washington	$83,960	$77,850	1,860	After tax
Maryland	$83,200	$75,550	1,850	After tax
Vermont	$81,310	$66,860	240	After tax
Georgia	$80,920	$76,650	1,920	After tax
Illinois	$80,620	$76,060	4,560	After tax
Colorado	$79,150	$77,870	1,830	After tax
North Carolina	$77,380	$73,740	1,870	After tax
Florida	$77,370	$73,950	3,790	After tax
Ohio	$77,140	$72,160	1,800	After tax
Delaware	$77,120	$75,020	170	After tax
Rhode Island	$76,890	$77,960	340	After tax
New Hampshire	$75,310	$66,510	250	After tax
Oregon	$74,780	$71,540	1,110	After tax
Alaska	$73,930	$63,630	60	After tax
Arizona	$73,920	$63,090	820	After tax
Utah	$73,400	$65,040	590	After tax
Nevada	$73,330	$72,510	–	After tax
Kentucky	$72,640	$59,430	490	After tax
Alabama	$72,280	$63,330	530	After tax
Pennsylvania	$72,000	$63,460	3,240	After tax
Wisconsin	$70,670	$64,270	1,510	After tax
New Mexico	$70,400	$64,250	230	After tax
Kansas	$69,630	$61,920	500	After tax
Minnesota	$69,290	$62,650	1,970	After tax
Missouri	$68,130	$61,620	880	After tax
Montana	$67,960	$61,750	200	After tax
South Carolina	$67,920	$62,000	500	After tax
Iowa	$67,790	$57,200	900	After tax
Tennessee	$66,960	$59,550	1,390	After tax
Michigan	$66,850	$63,090	1,690	After tax
Hawaii	$66,010	$55,070	100	After tax
Maine	$63,910	$50,180	300	After tax
Indiana	$63,020	$56,440	830	After tax
Louisiana	$62,750	$58,860	330	After tax
West Virginia	$62,040	$56,630	260	After tax
North Dakota	$60,420	$60,520	200	After tax
South Dakota	$60,200	$56,730	140	After tax
Mississippi	$58,480	$54,380	290	After tax
Texas	$57,300	$45,950	6,460	After tax
Oklahoma	$55,610	$50,780	500	After tax
Wyoming	$53,200	$46,710	110	After tax
Nebraska	$52,460	$46,320	360	After tax
Arkansas	$52,010	$50,180	260	After tax
Puerto Rico	$46,480	$39,640	300

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other arts, design, entertainment, sports and media jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Editors” (SOC 27-3041). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an editor make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an editor is $37.46, and the average is $43.30. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $19.83 an hour and the top 10% over $73.90.

How much does an editor make a month?

At the median salary of $77,920, an editor earns about $6,493 a month before tax, or $2,997 every two weeks.

Which state pays editors the most?

New York has the highest average pay for an editor, at $116,740 a year. Next are California and District of Columbia. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an editor?

The lowest-paid 10% of editors earn less than $41,250 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $57,300. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid editors make?

The top 10% earn more than $153,700 a year, and the top 25% more than $106,100.

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