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Editors in California

Want to work as an Editors in California? Here’s what the data says. Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

$90,570 Median Annual Wage (California)

$100,346 National Median Annual Wage

14,920 California Employment

Considerable Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Editors Make in California?

For a editors working in California, the median annual wage is $90,570 per year (or roughly $43.55/hour).Earnings range from $48,480 at the 10th percentile to $167,510 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$48,480	$23.31
25th percentile	$62,800	$30.19
Median (50th)	$90,570	$43.55
75th percentile	$129,990	$62.50
90th percentile	$167,510	$80.54

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in California relative to the national average — is 1.33, indicating that editors are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, editors earn a median of $100,346 per year ($48.24/hour), lower than the California median.

Editors earnings in California vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

National employment for 11,402 editors nationwide. In California alone, about 14,920 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 640 editors.

Editors in California vs. the average state

Top California Metros for Editors

The metro areas below employ the most editors in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	8,690	$90,570
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	2,350	$99,720
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	720	$76,160
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	480	$96,270
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	360	$75,260
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	320	$66,040
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	140	$94,750
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	130	$75,380
Fresno, CA	110	$62,940
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	80	$66,980
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	60	$59,710
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	60	$79,360
Salinas, CA	40	$69,090
Stockton-Lodi, CA	40	$60,530
Vallejo, CA	40	$72,580

Top States for Editors Employment

These states have the highest employment of editors work.

State	Number Employed
New York	17,410
California	14,920
Texas	8,190
Florida	4,000
Illinois	3,680
District of Columbia	3,580
Pennsylvania	3,500
Massachusetts	3,200
Virginia	3,150
Washington	2,800
New Jersey	2,190
North Carolina	2,000
Georgia	1,940
Maryland	1,870
Minnesota	1,850
Ohio	1,770
Michigan	1,740
Colorado	1,710
Connecticut	1,310
Wisconsin	1,140

Highest-Paying States for Editors

The highest-paying states for editors.

State	Annual Median Salary
New York	$98,620
Delaware	$91,700
California	$90,570
Washington	$85,250
Connecticut	$81,910
District of Columbia	$81,580
Virginia	$79,080
Massachusetts	$78,720
West Virginia	$76,760
Colorado	$75,660

Skills

Key editors skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension 4.9 / 5

Writing 4.2 / 5

Active Listening 3.9 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.9 / 5

Speaking 3.8 / 5

Time Management 3.4 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

English Language 4.8 / 5

Communications and Media 4.5 / 5

Administration and Management 3.3 / 5

Administrative 3.3 / 5

Education and Training 3.2 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 3.1 / 5

Abilities

Key abilities for editors, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Written Comprehension 4.9 / 5

Written Expression 4.6 / 5

Oral Comprehension 4.0 / 5

Oral Expression 4.0 / 5

Near Vision 3.9 / 5

Speech Clarity 3.9 / 5

Daily Tasks

Editors typically:

Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.
Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors.
Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories.
Plan the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.
Review and approve proofs submitted by composing room prior to publication production.
Assign topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.

Work Activities

Working with Computers
Getting Information
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Thinking Creatively
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Processing Information
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Analyzing Data or Information

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software In-demand technologies: Adobe Photoshop

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

Communication & Media Studies
Journalism
Other Communication & Journalism
Publishing
Public Relations & Advertising
Writing Studies
Literature
Corporate Communications

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Related occupations to editors include:

Also Known As

Acquisitions Editor, Acute Editor, Advertising Editor, Art Editor, Assignment Editor, Book Editor, Business Editor, Censor, Communications Editor, Content Editor, Continuity Editor, Continuity Reader, Copy Reader, Development Editor, Dictionary Editor.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 27-3041.00

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