Editors

What the job really is

Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

At a glance

• Sector: Arts, Design & Media
• O*NET-SOC code: 27-3041
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Arrange for copyright permissions.
• Interview and hire writers and reporters or negotiate contracts, royalties, and payments for authors or freelancers.
• Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
• Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
• Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
• Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
• Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
• Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.
• Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
• Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors.
• Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories.
• Plan the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Apple macOS, Cascading style sheets CSS, Content management systems CMS, Extensible markup language XML, Facebook, Google Analytics

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Proofreaders and Copy Markers
• Film and Video Editors
• News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
• Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
• Writers and Authors
• Technical Writers
• Producers and Directors
• Desktop Publishers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Editors — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.