Science Editor Salary in the United States

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

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Science Editor in the United States is $78,943 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $90,545
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,923 to $85,016
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,532
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View as table View as graph 25% $71,923 10% $65,532 90% $90,545 75% $85,016 $78,943 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Science Editor Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $85,016 $7,085 $1,635 $41
Average $78,943 $6,579 $1,518 $38
25th Percentile $71,923 $5,994 $1,383 $35
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Key Factors That Influence Science Editor Salaries

A Science 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.

Top Paying Cities for Science 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: $99,570
  • San Francisco: $98,592
  • Oakland: $96,405

What Skills Can Increase a Science 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 Science 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
$89,205
13%
Medical Writing
$88,416
12%
Storytelling
$88,416
12%
Digital Media
$87,626
11%
Analysis
$87,626
11%
Innovation
$87,626
11%
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How Education impacts a Science Editor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Science 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 Science Editor with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,724 and $78,993).

Science Editor Salaries by Degree Level

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

Understanding how a Science 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 March 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Science Editor

Salaries for a Science Editor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $67,910 in 2023 to around $67,416 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Science Editor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Science Editor Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$67,910
2024
$67,707
2025
$67,416
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $67,910
2024 $67,707
2025 $67,416
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Science Editor

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

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

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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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