Editorial Industry Overview

With media properties ranging from major metropolitan daily newspapers with circulations of 1 million to celebrity Facebook pages with 10 million followers, the media and editorial industry is more diverse than ever in the 2010s, and faster changing. Editorial media encompass an ever-expanding range, from books, newspapers, magazines and television to a kaleidoscopic array of Internet and other digital genres. Although large companies like The New York Times Co. and News Corp. still concentrate a lot of media power, editorial jobs can be found in a huge number of establishments, from the very small to the behemoth.

Editorial Job Market

There were 145,900 writers and authors in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The profession is expected to grow 6 percent by 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Editors held more than 127,000 positions, but no significant growth is expected over the forecast decade. Reporters, correspondents and broadcast news analysts held another 58,500 jobs in 2010, with a modest decline of 6 percent projected over the forecast period.

Although editorial work dates to the Bronze Age and the earliest writing systems, jobs in editorial are in a period of extraordinary creative destruction. Traditional, prestigious editorial careers in newspaper or television journalism are dwindling; meanwhile, companies in many industries are creating editorial work opportunities as they build and update compelling Internet presences. Those who seek ongoing editorial employment will find the most success if they anticipate change and make themselves expert in whatever is next in editorial media, content and process.

Common job titles in editorial and publishing include writer, reporter, editor, producer, proofreader, editorial assistant, contributing editor, managing editor, managing producer, editorial director and executive editor.

Editorial Salaries

Writers and authors earned median wages of $55,870 in May 2011, according to the BLS. For editors, median annual wages were $52,380. Reporters and correspondents’ median earnings were considerably lower at $34,870. Broadcast news analysts did better at $55,720.