Starting Salaries

• Book editors nationwide earned an average annual salary of $58,270 per year in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this salary figure reflects the salaries earned by those with all levels of experience and not just those starting out in the industry. In fact, starting salaries for book publishers tend to be toward the bottom end of the pay scale. The bureau reports that the lower one-fourth of those on the editor pay scale made salaries of $37,980 or less per year. Both "New York" magazine and the University of Tennessee note that Random House pays its entry-level editors a starting salary of around $30,000 per year. The BLS reports that the bottom 10 percent of editors made $28,880, which corresponds well to this salary figure in terms of proximity.
  
  

Earning Potential

• The earning potential for those working in the editing field is significantly greater than what starting editors tend to make. This is evidenced by the high-end salaries reported by the BLS and other information provided by the University of Tennessee and "New York" magazine. The BLS indicates that the upper 25 percent of all editors made salaries greater than $71,640, with the upper 10 percent making in excess of $96,800 per year in 2010. "New York" magazine suggests that senior editors can expect to bring home between $55,000 and $90,000 per year, with an editor-in-chief making between $175,000 and $250,000.
  
  

Salary Determinants

• Other factors can affect salary for book editors as well. For instance, the University of Tennessee suggests that larger publishing companies pay significantly more than small publishing houses. The university also suggests that male editors are typically paid more than female editors. The BLS indicates that location factors into the equation as well, noting that the top-paid editors worked in New York and earned an average annual salary of $74,690 per year in 2010, while editors in Texas earned only $50,150, by comparison. The University of Tennessee also suggests that upward mobility is a major deterrent for those entering this field, because of the lack of opportunity in moving beyond entry-level status and pay.
  
  

Job Outlook

• Despite the lack of opportunity for upward mobility, the BLS suggests that the number of new jobs in this field will still grow at a rate of about 8 percent during the decade from 2008 to 2018. However, this growth will occur in all publishing industries and not just book publishing. Despite the expected job growth, the bureau also indicates that competition for jobs should remain fierce.