What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Editors in the U.S. earn more than $77,920 a year — the middle 80% land between $41,250 and $153,700. About 91,690 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Editors”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$77,920typical pay / year
91,690people in this work
$153,700+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record6
Proofread and edit stories or pieces
+Proofread the feature and opinion pieces slated for Sunday's print edition, correct grammar and style to our…
Proofread and edit stories or pieces
+Proofread the feature and opinion pieces slated for Sunday's print edition, correct grammar and style to our house guide, tighten ledes and transitions, mark any substantive queries for the author, and return a clean file by Thursday midday for page layout.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Work with writers to develop ideas
+Work with Aisha on three short ideas from the pitch desk, sketch tighter arcs and suggested openings, list…
Work with writers to develop ideas
+Work with Aisha on three short ideas from the pitch desk, sketch tighter arcs and suggested openings, list required sources and visuals, then set a Monday morning drafting session with her and the reporter.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Check facts and verify citations
+Verify all facts and citations in Tom's investigative draft: confirm dates, quotes, and public records,…
Check facts and verify citations
+Verify all facts and citations in Tom's investigative draft: confirm dates, quotes, and public records, replace any uncited claims with sources or flag them, and return a fact-checked copy with footnotes by Wednesday evening.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Recruit and manage writers and reporters
+Recruit two reporters for the urban affairs beat, review resumes and recent clips, schedule interviews with…
Recruit and manage writers and reporters
+Recruit two reporters for the urban affairs beat, review resumes and recent clips, schedule interviews with the top three candidates next week, and prepare offer terms and a 60‑day onboarding plan for the hire.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Evaluate submissions for publication
+Evaluate the six short film submissions for the summer issue and recommend three for publication: score them…
Evaluate submissions for publication
+Evaluate the six short film submissions for the summer issue and recommend three for publication: score them on originality, screencraft, and production quality, note any legal or rights concerns, and write a 150-word justification for each choice by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Oversee layout, design, and multimedia elements
+Oversee the magazine feature layout for the June issue: confirm headline hierarchy, approve two photo crops…
Oversee layout, design, and multimedia elements
+Oversee the magazine feature layout for the June issue: confirm headline hierarchy, approve two photo crops and caption copy, instruct the designer to embed the video stills with 16x9 player slots, and sign off on print-ready files by next Thursday.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work14
Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
+Write a 700–900 word feature on how the riverfront redevelopment affects longtime residents, include two…
Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
+Write a 700–900 word feature on how the riverfront redevelopment affects longtime residents, include two opening anecdotes from Maria Lopez and Dan Carter, three local stats, and a pull quote for the front page by Thursday morning.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsO*NET
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Select local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on assessment of items' significance and interest value.
+Choose the top eight wire stories for tomorrow’s front page: two state politics pieces, two national policy…
Select local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on assessment of items' significance and interest value.
+Choose the top eight wire stories for tomorrow’s front page: two state politics pieces, two national policy items, three international developments, and one human-interest local angle — justify each choice in one sentence.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsO*NET
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Arrange for copyright permissions.
+Secure copyright clearance for the archival photo of the 1984 protest used in the feature: identify the…
Arrange for copyright permissions.
+Secure copyright clearance for the archival photo of the 1984 protest used in the feature: identify the rights holder, request reproduction permission for print and web through end of next year, and draft the licensing terms and fee cap of $500.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsO*NET
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Read material to determine index items and arrange them alphabetically or topically, indicating page or chapter location.
+Read the manuscript and produce an index of subjects and people with alphabetized entries, page references,…
Read material to determine index items and arrange them alphabetically or topically, indicating page or chapter location.
+Read the manuscript and produce an index of subjects and people with alphabetized entries, page references, and ten cross-references, finishing the first pass by Friday COB.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignO*NET
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Approve final versions of content
+Approve final copy for the print run: check headline spellings, captions, image credits, and the corrected…
Approve final versions of content
+Approve final copy for the print run: check headline spellings, captions, image credits, and the corrected lede on page three, then sign off for print by 5pm so the press schedule is met.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptions
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Collaborate with writers, photographers, designers
+Set up a working draft and assign tasks for the Sunday magazine: pair Sarah the writer with Leo the…
Collaborate with writers, photographers, designers
+Set up a working draft and assign tasks for the Sunday magazine: pair Sarah the writer with Leo the photographer, brief the designer on layout needs, request a 600-word text, three portraits, and comps by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptions
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Work closely with sound editors
+Sit with the sound editors during the next cut, watch Scene 12 with the temp mix, flag every mismatched sync…
Work closely with sound editors
+Sit with the sound editors during the next cut, watch Scene 12 with the temp mix, flag every mismatched sync or cue change in the script, note timecode for fixes, and agree who will deliver the revised stems by Tuesday lunchtime.
The tools that do the workApple macOSESCO
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Comply with media law and ethical guidelines
+Check the finished cut against the broadcaster’s defamation, privacy and fairness rules, flag any risky clips…
Comply with media law and ethical guidelines
+Check the finished cut against the broadcaster’s defamation, privacy and fairness rules, flag any risky clips or unverified claims, and prepare a redline list for legal and the producer before the 10am compliance meeting on Thursday.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptions
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Meet deadlines and budget requirements
+Produce a delivery schedule that matches the 48‑hour broadcast window and the remaining £6,000…
Meet deadlines and budget requirements
+Produce a delivery schedule that matches the 48‑hour broadcast window and the remaining £6,000 post‑production budget, list who must sign off each milestone, and circulate the timeline to the producer and finance by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptions
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Allocate space for text, photos, and illustrations
+Lay out the page for the print preview allocating word counts and space for three photos and two…
Allocate space for text, photos, and illustrations
+Lay out the page for the print preview allocating word counts and space for three photos and two illustrations so captions fit, then export a print‑ready proof and send it to design and the art director for approval by Tuesday afternoon.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignjob descriptions
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Fact-check and ensure content ethics
+Verify every factual claim in the script against primary sources, list sources and confidence levels, note…
Fact-check and ensure content ethics
+Verify every factual claim in the script against primary sources, list sources and confidence levels, note any potential ethical concerns for the editor and legal, and deliver the fact‑check dossier before the editorial meeting at 9am Wednesday.
The tools that do the workGoogle Docsjob descriptions
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Prepare written, visual, audible, or cinematic material
+Assemble the rushes, select usable takes, sync picture to clean audio, build a rough with music cues and…
Prepare written, visual, audible, or cinematic material
+Assemble the rushes, select usable takes, sync picture to clean audio, build a rough with music cues and captions, and hand the first cut to the producer and composer for notes by Monday 3pm.
The tools that do the workAdobe After EffectsWikipedia
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Correct errors in the work
+Go through the current cut, mark every continuity, timing and typographical error, fix the five worst sound…
Correct errors in the work
+Go through the current cut, mark every continuity, timing and typographical error, fix the five worst sound pops and two color mismatches, and upload the revised master with a change log to the producer before close of play today.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopWikipedia
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Decide which special effects are needed
+Review the timeline and mark where practical effects suffice and where motion work is required; propose five…
Decide which special effects are needed
+Review the timeline and mark where practical effects suffice and where motion work is required; propose five VFX shots with suggested techniques and durations, estimate added render time, and send the list to the VFX supervisor by Monday.
The tools that do the workAdobe After EffectsESCO
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses