Editors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for editorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$116,740
- California$111,810
- District of Columbia$109,290
- New Jersey$107,030
- Connecticut$95,580
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $116,740 | $101,480 | $56 | +29.6% | 16,800 |
| 2 | California | $111,810 | $98,030 | $54 | +24.2% | 14,830 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,290 | $83,920 | $53 | +21.4% | 3,310 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $107,030 | $81,680 | $51 | +18.8% | 2,120 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $95,580 | $85,950 | $46 | +6.1% | 1,050 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $89,740 | $83,170 | $43 | -0.4% | 3,100 |
| 7 | Virginia | $89,740 | $80,590 | $43 | -0.4% | 2,720 |
| 8 | Washington | $83,960 | $77,850 | $40 | -6.8% | 1,860 |
| 9 | Maryland | $83,200 | $75,550 | $40 | -7.6% | 1,850 |
| 10 | Vermont | $81,310 | $66,860 | $39 | -9.7% | 240 |
| 11 | Georgia | $80,920 | $76,650 | $39 | -10.1% | 1,920 |
| 12 | Illinois | $80,620 | $76,060 | $39 | -10.5% | 4,560 |
| 13 | Colorado | $79,150 | $77,870 | $38 | -12.1% | 1,830 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $77,380 | $73,740 | $37 | -14.1% | 1,870 |
| 15 | Florida | $77,370 | $73,950 | $37 | -14.1% | 3,790 |
| 16 | Ohio | $77,140 | $72,160 | $37 | -14.3% | 1,800 |
| 17 | Delaware | $77,120 | $75,020 | $37 | -14.4% | 170 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $76,890 | $77,960 | $37 | -14.6% | 340 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $75,310 | $66,510 | $36 | -16.4% | 250 |
| 20 | Oregon | $74,780 | $71,540 | $36 | -17% | 1,110 |
| 21 | Alaska | $73,930 | $63,630 | $36 | -17.9% | 60 |
| 22 | Arizona | $73,920 | $63,090 | $36 | -17.9% | 820 |
| 23 | Utah | $73,400 | $65,040 | $35 | -18.5% | 590 |
| 24 | Nevada | $73,330 | $72,510 | $35 | -18.6% | — |
| 25 | Kentucky | $72,640 | $59,430 | $35 | -19.3% | 490 |
| 26 | Alabama | $72,280 | $63,330 | $35 | -19.7% | 530 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $72,000 | $63,460 | $35 | -20.1% | 3,240 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $70,670 | $64,270 | $34 | -21.5% | 1,510 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $70,400 | $64,250 | $34 | -21.8% | 230 |
| 30 | Kansas | $69,630 | $61,920 | $33 | -22.7% | 500 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $69,290 | $62,650 | $33 | -23.1% | 1,970 |
| 32 | Missouri | $68,130 | $61,620 | $33 | -24.4% | 880 |
| 33 | Montana | $67,960 | $61,750 | $33 | -24.5% | 200 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $67,920 | $62,000 | $33 | -24.6% | 500 |
| 35 | Iowa | $67,790 | $57,200 | $33 | -24.7% | 900 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $66,960 | $59,550 | $32 | -25.6% | 1,390 |
| 37 | Michigan | $66,850 | $63,090 | $32 | -25.8% | 1,690 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $66,010 | $55,070 | $32 | -26.7% | 100 |
| 39 | Maine | $63,910 | $50,180 | $31 | -29% | 300 |
| 40 | Indiana | $63,020 | $56,440 | $30 | -30% | 830 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $62,750 | $58,860 | $30 | -30.3% | 330 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $62,040 | $56,630 | $30 | -31.1% | 260 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $60,420 | $60,520 | $29 | -32.9% | 200 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $60,200 | $56,730 | $29 | -33.2% | 140 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $58,480 | $54,380 | $28 | -35.1% | 290 |
| 46 | Texas | $57,300 | $45,950 | $28 | -36.4% | 6,460 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $55,610 | $50,780 | $27 | -38.3% | 500 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $53,200 | $46,710 | $26 | -40.9% | 110 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $52,460 | $46,320 | $25 | -41.7% | 360 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,010 | $50,180 | $25 | -42.2% | 260 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 242 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $117,580 | $120,530 | 560 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,940 | $114,540 | 2,040 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $102,120 | $119,160 | 16,600 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,050 | $119,300 | 8,830 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $98,550 | $99,420 | 110 |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $88,610 | $96,540 | 340 |
| 7 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $87,150 | $110,240 | 230 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $86,870 | $97,150 | 150 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $86,410 | $94,380 | 2,480 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $84,800 | $104,350 | 5,470 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing editorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Manufacturing | $145,160 | $137,710 | 40 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $145,160 | $137,900 | 40 |
| 3 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $116,300 | $127,300 | 340 |
| 4 | Technical and Trade Schools | $113,060 | $103,120 | 70 |
| 5 | Technical and Trade Schools, Privately Owned | $113,060 | $103,120 | 70 |
| 6 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $108,090 | $107,130 | 90 |
| 7 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $106,240 | $121,690 | 1,820 |
| 8 | Grantmaking and Giving Services | $104,260 | $103,900 | 350 |
| 9 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $103,320 | $124,610 | 7,540 |
| 10 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $103,210 | $106,500 | 30 |
| 11 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $102,890 | $123,180 | 7,760 |
| 12 | Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | $101,070 | $112,480 | 60 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do editors make in the U.S.?
The median editors salary in the United States is $77,920 per year (mean $90,060), and about 80% earn between $41,250 and $153,700.
How much do editors make per hour?
Roughly $43 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $90,060 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays editors the most?
New York has the highest average pay for editors at $116,740 per year (median $101,480).
What is the job outlook for editors?
Employment is projected to change +0.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 9,800 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.