Salary data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Editor salary in the US
$77,920
Median annual
$37.46
Median hourly
$153,700
Top 10% earn over
91,690
Employed
In the United States, a typical editor earned $77,920 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $90,060. About 91,690 people work in this occupation there.
Compared with all occupations in the United States (median $50,980), editors earn 53% more.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,250, while the top 10% earned more than $153,700. Many editors are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Editor salary by state
| State | Median | Mean | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101,480 | $116,740 | $57,910 | $179,370 | 16,800 |
| California | $98,030 | $111,810 | $52,510 | $173,590 | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $85,950 | $95,580 | $47,020 | $145,340 | 1,050 |
| District of Columbia | $83,920 | $109,290 | $64,440 | $170,460 | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83,170 | $89,740 | $47,320 | $136,360 | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $81,680 | $107,030 | $53,150 | $138,610 | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $80,590 | $89,740 | $45,760 | $144,810 | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $77,960 | $76,890 | $50,900 | $102,890 | 340 |
| Colorado | $77,870 | $79,150 | $44,570 | $115,940 | 1,830 |
| Washington | $77,850 | $83,960 | $50,320 | $128,630 | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $76,650 | $80,920 | $46,080 | $124,000 | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76,060 | $80,620 | $46,410 | $107,850 | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $75,550 | $83,200 | $46,740 | $124,990 | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75,020 | $77,120 | $41,770 | $106,420 | 170 |
| Florida | $73,950 | $77,370 | $43,230 | $121,380 | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $73,740 | $77,380 | $44,050 | $103,990 | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $72,510 | $73,330 | $42,520 | $104,370 | — |
| Ohio | $72,160 | $77,140 | $37,440 | $124,730 | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $71,540 | $74,780 | $44,660 | $111,390 | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $66,860 | $81,310 | $48,320 | $143,630 | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $66,510 | $75,310 | $47,870 | $113,570 | 250 |
| Utah | $65,040 | $73,400 | $40,470 | $119,680 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64,270 | $70,670 | $39,470 | $102,530 | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64,250 | $70,400 | $38,390 | $116,640 | 230 |
| Alaska | $63,630 | $73,930 | $43,030 | $106,250 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,460 | $72,000 | $37,240 | $114,560 | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63,330 | $72,280 | $35,600 | $103,890 | 530 |
| Arizona | $63,090 | $73,920 | $42,360 | $109,090 | 820 |
| Michigan | $63,090 | $66,850 | $33,230 | $99,980 | 1,690 |
| Minnesota | $62,650 | $69,290 | $43,370 | $102,270 | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62,000 | $67,920 | $39,380 | $119,660 | 500 |
| Kansas | $61,920 | $69,630 | $35,690 | $107,140 | 500 |
| Montana | $61,750 | $67,960 | $32,190 | $122,940 | 200 |
| Missouri | $61,620 | $68,130 | $36,060 | $104,680 | 880 |
| North Dakota | $60,520 | $60,420 | $30,660 | $92,930 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $59,550 | $66,960 | $37,600 | $105,010 | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59,430 | $72,640 | $39,040 | $149,990 | 490 |
| Louisiana | $58,860 | $62,750 | $36,680 | $97,740 | 330 |
| Iowa | $57,200 | $67,790 | $38,050 | $108,820 | 900 |
| South Dakota | $56,730 | $60,200 | $47,770 | $79,180 | 140 |
| West Virginia | $56,630 | $62,040 | $28,180 | $100,910 | 260 |
| Indiana | $56,440 | $63,020 | $30,860 | $99,380 | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55,070 | $66,010 | $32,930 | $107,200 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54,380 | $58,480 | $28,440 | $83,200 | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $50,780 | $55,610 | $31,550 | $85,730 | 500 |
| Arkansas | $50,180 | $52,010 | $28,840 | $76,950 | 260 |
| Maine | $50,180 | $63,910 | $33,170 | $121,320 | 300 |
| Wyoming | $46,710 | $53,200 | $29,590 | $82,920 | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46,320 | $52,460 | $32,280 | $72,740 | 360 |
| Texas | $45,950 | $57,300 | $29,040 | $105,440 | 6,460 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,640 | $46,480 | $28,370 | $77,640 | 300 |
Highest-paying metro areas
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Excludes self-employed workers.