Publications Editor Salary in the United States

How much does a Publications Editor make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Publications Editor in the United States is $76,919 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $37.

However, a Publications Editor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $88,275
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,125 to $82,863
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,939
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View as table View as graph 25% $70,125 10% $63,939 90% $88,275 75% $82,863 $76,919 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Publications Editor Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $82,863 $6,905 $1,594 $40
Average $76,919 $6,410 $1,479 $37
25th Percentile $70,125 $5,844 $1,349 $34
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Key Factors That Influence Publications Editor Salaries

A Publications Editor'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 Publications Editor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Publications Editor'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $74,189
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $74,397
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $76,919
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $79,366
  • Expert (over 8 years): $79,541
Levels Salary
Entry Level Publications Editor$74,189
Intermediate Level Publications Editor$74,397
Senior Level Publications Editor$76,919
Specialist Level Publications Editor$79,366
Expert Level Publications Editor$79,541
$74,189 0 yr
$74,397 < 2 yrs
$76,919 2-4 yrs
$79,366 5-8 yrs
$79,541 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Publications Editor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Publications Editors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $85,164.
  • California: $84,841.
  • Massachusetts: $83,711.

Top Paying Cities for Publications Editors

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: $97,017
  • San Francisco: $96,064
  • Oakland: $93,933

What Skills Can Increase a Publications Editor'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."
See More Skills
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 a Publications Editor'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
$86,918
13%
Medical Writing
$86,149
12%
Storytelling
$86,149
12%
Digital Media
$85,380
11%
Analysis
$85,380
11%
Innovation
$85,380
11%
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How Education impacts a Publications Editor's Salary?

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

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

Publications Editor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Publications Editor
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%
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Publications Editor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Publications Editor'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 January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Publications Editor

Salaries for a Publications Editor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $66,183 in 2023 to around $65,701 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Publications Editor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Publications Editor Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$66,183
2024
$65,985
2025
$65,701
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $66,183
2024 $65,985
2025 $65,701
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Publications Editor

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Publications Editor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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