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Hourly Wage for Editor II Salary in the United States

What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Editor II?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for an Editor II in the United States is $38, which translates to an annual salary of about $78,360.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $43 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34 to $41 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $31 per hour

Key Factors That Influence Editor II Salaries

An Editor II's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Editor II Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Editor II's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Editor I (0-2 years): $61,878
  • Editor II (2-4 years): $78,360
  • Editor III (4-7 years): $96,199
  • Editorial Manager (7+ years): $113,236
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Editor I0-2 years$61,878
Editor II2-4 years$78,360
Editor III4-7 years$96,199
Editorial Manager7+ years$113,236

Top Paying Cities for Editor II

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $98,835
  • San Francisco: $97,753
  • Oakland: $95,693

What Skills Can Increase an Editor II's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Project Management (Mentioned in 3.33% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
  • Copyediting (Mentioned in 2.53% Job Postings): Copy editing (also copyediting, sometimes abbreviated ce) is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to improve accuracy, readability, and fitness for its purpose, and to ensure that it is free of error, omission, inconsistency, and repetition. In the context of publication in print, copy editing is done before typesetting and again before proofreading, the final step in the editorial cycle.:1–5 In the United States and Canada, an editor who does this work is called a copy editor. An organization's highest-ranking copy editor, or the supervising editor of a group of copy editors, may be known as the copy chief, copy desk chief, or news editor. In book publishing in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world that follow British nomenclature, the term copy editor is used, but in newspaper and magazine publishing, the term is subeditor (or sub-editor), commonly shortened to sub. The senior subeditor of a publication is frequently called the chief subeditor. As the prefix sub suggests, copy editors typically have less authority than regular editors.
  • Content Creation (Mentioned in 1.74% Job Postings): Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. A Pew survey described content creation as the creation of "the material people contribute to the online world."
Skills Demand Percentage
Project Management 3.33%
Copyediting 2.53%
Content Creation 1.74%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Editor II's salary.

  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Medical Writing: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Storytelling: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Management $88,547
13%
Medical Writing $87,763
12%
Storytelling $87,763
12%

Editor II Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Editor II salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $87,719. While startup companies pay approximate $74,209.

Editor II Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $74,209
Growth Stage 51~500 $78,484
Established 501~5000 $84,709
Enterprise 5000+ $87,719

Editor II Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Editor II roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Editor positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Editor II as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Editor II

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$86,196$41.010%

How Education impacts an Editor II's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Editor II enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Editor II with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,724 and $78,993.

Editor II Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Editor II
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 2.3%
Associates 2.2%
Bachelors 62.5%
Masters 27.2%
Doctorate 5.7%

Editor II Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Editor II's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$71,192
Average $78,360/year
$84,335
$5,933
Average $6,530/month
$7,028
$1,369
Average $1,507/week
$1,622
$34
Average $38/hour
$41
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $84,335 $7,028 $1,622 $41
Average $78,360 $6,530 $1,507 $38
25th Percentile $71,192 $5,933 $1,369 $34

Most common benefits for Editor II

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Editor II

Here are companies hiring for Editor II and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Editor II

1. What are the responsibilities of Editor II?

Reviews, edits, and re-writes a variety of documents and/or digital content. Responsible for creating and maintaining accurate and compelling content for written copy and/or websites and other online communications media. Ensures that all content meets required and accepted format and standards. Evaluates content for clarity, accuracy, and consistency. May coordinate with creative team to produce final drafts. Requires a bachelor's degree in journalism or equivalent. Typically reports to a manager. Occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. Gaining exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Typically requires 2-4 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Editor II

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Project Management: Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.

2.)

Copyediting: Copy editing (also copyediting, sometimes abbreviated ce) is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to improve accuracy, readability, and fitness for its purpose, and to ensure that it is free of error, omission, inconsistency, and repetition. In the context of publication in print, copy editing is done before typesetting and again before proofreading, the final step in the editorial cycle.:1–5 In the United States and Canada, an editor who does this work is called a copy editor. An organization's highest-ranking copy editor, or the supervising editor of a group of copy editors, may be known as the copy chief, copy desk chief, or news editor. In book publishing in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world that follow British nomenclature, the term copy editor is used, but in newspaper and magazine publishing, the term is subeditor (or sub-editor), commonly shortened to sub. The senior subeditor of a publication is frequently called the chief subeditor. As the prefix sub suggests, copy editors typically have less authority than regular editors.

3.)

Content Creation: Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. A Pew survey described content creation as the creation of "the material people contribute to the online world."

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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