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Editors in Virginia

Thinking about a career as an Editors in Virginia? Here’s what the data says. Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

What do Editors Make in Virginia?

For editors working in Virginia, the median annual wage is $79,080 per year (or about $38.02/hour).Earnings range from $44,410 at the 10th percentile to $130,260 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$44,410	$21.35
25th percentile	$58,490	$28.12
Median (50th)	$79,080	$38.02
75th percentile	$103,300	$49.66
90th percentile	$130,260	$62.63

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Virginia relative to the national average — is 1.25, 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), below the Virginia median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 11,402 editors across the United States. In Virginia alone, approximately 3,150 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 640 editors.

Top Virginia Metros for Editors

The largest metro-area employers of editors in Virginia.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	350	$67,930
Richmond, VA	320	$74,700
Charlottesville, VA	190	$76,230
Harrisonburg, VA	40	$53,670
Roanoke, VA	40	$58,050

Top States for Editors Employment

The table below shows the states where the most 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

These states pay the most 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:

Knowledge Areas

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

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for editors, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• 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

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software In-demand technologies: Adobe Photoshop

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

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

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Related Careers

Careers similar to editors include:

• Management Analysts
• Web and Digital Interface Designers
• Web Administrators
• Document Management Specialists
• Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

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