Editor salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, a typical editor earned $84,800 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $104,350. About 5,470 people work in this occupation there.
That is 9% above the national median of $77,920. Compared with all occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (median $71,060), editors earn 19% more. With a location quotient of 2.96, the occupation is more concentrated here than in the US as a whole.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $56,780, while the top 10% earned more than $169,900. Many editors are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $56,780 | $27.30 |
| 25th | $77,020 | $37.03 |
| Median | $84,800 | $40.77 |
| 75th | $127,610 | $61.35 |
| 90th | $169,900 | $81.68 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.