Editors salary
Arts & media · OCC code 27-3041 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Editors in the US earn a median of $75,260 per year (mean $85,700) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +52.0% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $50,210 and $101,210; the top 10% earn $140,840 or more. The median hourly wage is $36.18. About 95,480 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is New York ($98,620). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Editors pay range (national percentiles)
What editors earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $36,200 |
| 25th percentile | $50,210 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $75,260 |
| Mean (average) | $85,700 |
| 75th percentile | $101,210 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $140,840 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Editors salary by state
Median and mean wage for editors in each of the 50 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $75,260.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $98,620 | $114,590 | 17,410 |
| 2 | Delaware | $91,700 | $84,180 | 180 |
| 3 | California | $90,570 | $103,880 | 14,920 |
| 4 | Washington | $85,250 | $91,180 | 2,800 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $81,910 | $90,790 | 1,310 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $81,580 | $107,440 | 3,580 |
| 7 | Virginia | $79,080 | $85,890 | 3,150 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $78,720 | $87,300 | 3,200 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $76,760 | $68,480 | 350 |
| 10 | Colorado | $75,660 | $77,770 | 1,710 |
| 11 | Oregon | $72,780 | $72,630 | 890 |
| 12 | Maryland | $72,500 | $77,370 | 1,870 |
| 13 | Illinois | $68,050 | $75,120 | 3,680 |
| 14 | Georgia | $66,880 | $74,680 | 1,940 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $65,920 | $70,770 | 240 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $64,740 | $71,750 | 310 |
| 17 | Florida | $64,380 | $77,390 | 4,000 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $64,340 | $73,920 | 2,000 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $63,790 | $74,370 | 3,500 |
| 20 | Nevada | $62,910 | $68,110 | 310 |
| 21 | Vermont | $62,710 | $72,490 | 220 |
| 22 | Michigan | $62,140 | $66,720 | 1,740 |
| 23 | Arizona | $61,530 | $71,710 | 1,090 |
| 24 | Ohio | $61,330 | $72,240 | 1,770 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $61,250 | $76,270 | 270 |
| 26 | Utah | $59,860 | $67,560 | 550 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $58,940 | $62,700 | 1,140 |
| 28 | Missouri | $58,740 | $63,520 | 1,020 |
| 29 | Iowa | $58,570 | $64,490 | 640 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $58,210 | $67,330 | 560 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $58,000 | $71,790 | 160 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $57,410 | $66,130 | 430 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $57,260 | $56,460 | 100 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $56,660 | $57,330 | 210 |
| 35 | Alaska | $55,370 | $58,680 | 50 |
| 36 | Kansas | $54,480 | $59,060 | 490 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $53,900 | $62,740 | 1,850 |
| 38 | Indiana | $51,550 | $57,520 | 1,110 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $51,060 | $60,610 | 960 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $49,510 | $57,240 | 280 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $48,880 | $49,850 | 330 |
| 42 | Maine | $47,750 | $57,880 | 310 |
| 43 | Idaho | $46,880 | $53,260 | 300 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $45,560 | $51,470 | 540 |
| 45 | Montana | $45,470 | $49,260 | 210 |
| 46 | Alabama | $44,990 | $55,100 | 590 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $44,690 | $48,310 | 350 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $43,280 | $55,680 | 170 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $40,100 | $48,350 | 300 |
| 50 | Texas | $28,860 | $47,600 | 8,190 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: New York ($98,620). Lowest: Texas ($28,860).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editors (this job) | $75,260 | $85,700 | +52.0% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $74,260 | $77,060 | +50.0% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,290 | $79,320 | +54.1% |
| Loan Officers | $74,180 | $86,020 | +49.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | $72,910 | $79,730 | +47.3% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $77,660 | $79,760 | +56.9% |
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants · Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers · Loan Officers · Human Resources Specialists · Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
Frequently asked questions
How much do editors make?
Editors earn a national median of $75,260 per year (mean $85,700) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $50,210 (25th percentile) and $101,210 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $140,840 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $36,200. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for editors?
The median hourly wage is $36.18 and the mean is $41.20 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays editors the most?
New York has the highest median wage for editors at $98,620, versus a national median of $75,260. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many editors are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 95,480 editors are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #59 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 27-3041), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20