How much do editors make?
Editors have a dedicated Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation code, so both national and state wage estimates exist for the job. The figures below are the government's wage-and-salary numbers, which do not cover freelance editing income.
The short answer
The median wage for editors is $77,920 a year (27-3041), with the middle half of the field between $57,300 and $106,100. The bottom tenth earn under $41,250; the top tenth clear $153,700.
Source: U.S. BLS OEWS May 2025, retrieved 2026-07-13. Wage-and-salary jobs only; the self-employed are excluded.
The full national wage distribution
91,690 people are employed as editors in wage-and-salary jobs nationally. The annual wage percentiles below are the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
| 10th percentile | $41,250 |
| 25th percentile | $57,300 |
| Median (50th) | $77,920 |
| 75th percentile | $106,100 |
| 90th percentile | $153,700 |
Which states pay the most
Ranked by median wage. A high median can reflect a small workforce, so read it against employment in the explorer.
| 1 | New York | $101,480 |
| 2 | California | $98,030 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $85,950 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $83,920 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $83,170 |
| 50 | Texas | $45,950 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $46,320 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $46,710 |
| 47 | Maine | $50,180 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $50,180 |
Methodology
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-07-13 (Retrieved 2026-07-13 via the BLS Public Data API (api.bls.gov, OE survey series, latest=true, year 2025). Wages are annual/hourly USD; employment excludes self-employed workers.). The caveats that travel with every figure:
- OEWS covers wage and salary employment only; self-employed freelancers are not counted.
- Technical Writers (27-3042) baked at national level only.
- States where BLS suppresses an estimate are omitted or carry null fields.
Thinking about the career itself? See how to become a editor.
Frequently asked questions
How much do editors make?
The median wage is $77,920 a year for Editors (27-3041), per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates. The middle of the field runs from $57,300 to $106,100, with the top tenth clearing $153,700. These are wage-and-salary figures and exclude the self-employed.
Do these numbers cover freelance editors?
No. These are wage-and-salary estimates for employed editors. Freelance and self-employed editors are not counted; for freelance editing benchmarks, the freelance writing rates calculator uses the Editorial Freelancers Association's editing rate chart.
Which states pay editors the most?
The highest- and lowest-paying state tables on this page rank states by their median editor wage. A high state median can reflect a small workforce concentrated at a few large employers, so read it alongside the employment count.
The writer's edit
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