Assistant Editor Salary
An assistant editor the middle rank at a newspaper, typically between the reporters and the editor. While they are still responsible for writing stories and general editing, they also take on certain responsibilities from the editor, raising their worth to the publication. They may additionally be charged with collecting stories from reporters and writer, working on layout at smaller publications, performing the final round of copy-editing, and helping with the generation of story ideas or directions for a story to take. Assistant editors are typically also carry a heavier writing or photography load, may be assigned more serious stories, and have special publishing projects to work on.
Many assistant editors, or junior editors at some publications, will have to juggle all of these responsibilities that the editor may not have to time to give proper attention to. They are there to help the publications grow and continually produce quality content to serve its readership.
An assistant editor's educational requirements depend entirely on the subject matter they will be working with. For most smaller newspapers, who primarily deal with news stories, features, and sports, a Bachelor's Degree and related work experience is normally needed. For several other types of publications, relevant work experience is key. If you only have experience working with a small newspaper, you will have difficulties getting an assistant editors job at a magazine. For more detailed, scientific journals and publications, having experience working with that particular subject matter can greatly increase your chances of finding employment. Additional Master's Degrees and even Ph.D.'s may be needed for more advanced journals, including medical and scientific publications.
Most important is a relevant portfolio filled with work samples, including stories you have written, photography, and layout examples, whichever is relevant to the field you are going into.
An assistant editor salary tends to start fairly low for the amount of work you will be doing, but increases greatly with experience. Starting out, it can range from $28,000 to $36,000 for under 5 years of experience, and go as high as $70,000 for 15+ years of experience.
The assistant editor salary is also greatly affected by the city you are working in and the type of publication you are working at. Generally, magazines and trade publications will pay more, and larger cities will also offer a much higher salary than smaller towns and cities.
If you are looking to become an assistant editor, experience is key. You may spend several years in the lower ranks of publications before you have an opportunity to become an assistant editor. This is also a highly competitive position, with most opening receiving multiple applicants.
