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Acquisitions Editor, Book Editor, Broadcast Editor, City Editor, Contributing Editor, Developmental Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Freelance Editor, Magazine Editor, Managing Editor, News Editor, Newspaper Editor, Online Editor, Production Editor, Proofreader, Section Editor, Technical Editor, Wire Editor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
In addition to editorial responsibilities, editors in the broadcast and book, magazine and newspaper publishing industries often have supervisory and project management responsibilities. Editors also may work for non-traditional publishers such as website developers, government departments, schools or large corporations that produce annual reports, press releases, course materials, textbooks, journals or newsletters.
Book editors at publishing companies may acquire new manuscripts for publication or supervise the progress of literary works from manuscript drafts to the final printed book. Book editors usually perform many different roles (for example, substantive editing, copy editing, photo and illustration editing, proofreading). Some large publishers may employ different people for each role.
Editors responsible for acquiring new books for publication (often called acquisitions editors):
Editors who supervise the progress of an author's work may:
In larger publishing houses, these tasks may be performed by different editors:
Newspaper editors' job titles are generally are related to their position in a hierarchy of editors or to the topic areas for which they are responsible.
Copy editors:
City editors are responsible for local news coverage. They:
Newspaper editors in charge of other areas (often called section editors) supervise reporters and other staff covering topics such as sports, business, entertainment, fashion, food, photography, design and graphics.
Managing editors and section editors:
The editor-in-chief, in addition to being responsible for everything in the news and comment columns:
Magazine editors have responsibilities similar to those of book and newspaper editors, but most magazines do not employ large numbers of editors. Small magazines may have 1 or 2 staff editors or contract freelance editors to:
Freelance editors are hired by governments, businesses and other organizations to produce newsletters, bulletins, website content, magazines, training programs, texts and research studies. They may:
Broadcast editors prepare scripts or copy for news announcers on radio and television. In general, they:
Online editors prepare and post copy for websites. They may need to rewrite and edit the text for length and to match the website's style, or they may re-format the text for online use. Usually they work with a content management system to post the text but they still need to understand basic HTML markup. (HTML is the document description language used for most websites.)
Technical editors work with specialized scientific or technical publications. They edit copy written by technical writers or content experts. The style and format of these publications usually is rigidly defined for a particular purpose.
Editors often work long, irregular hours with overtime required to meet publishing deadlines. Some newspaper editors work from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., while others work day shifts.
Depending on the industry in which they work, editors may spend most of their day alone, with many people, or with 1 or 2 people. Newspaper editors work in loud and hectic surroundings. Book and freelance editors may work at home because editing manuscripts requires privacy and quiet.
Communication is frequent, so editors are regularly sending or responding to questions and comments by phone, text, email or video, as well as in person.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in planning and co-ordinating activities of staff to assure production deadlines are met, and in planning coverage of upcoming events and assigning work
Interest in analyzing information to plan and implement layout or format of copy according to space and time allocations and significance of copy
Interest in negotiating with authors, staff writers, reporters and others regarding revisions to copy; may negotiate royalties with authors and arrange for payment of freelance staff
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Editors need:
They should enjoy planning and coordinating the work of others, analyzing information and solving problems, and negotiating.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 27 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 21, 2021 and Apr 21, 2024.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Write or prepare introductions, marketing and promotional materials, bibliographic references, indexes and other text | 18 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Plan and implement layout or format of copy according to space or time allocations and significance of copy | 18 |
| Tasks: Detect and correct errors in spelling, grammar and syntax | 17 |
| Tasks: Evaluate suitability of material for publication, broadcast or publication on Internet | 17 |
| Computer and Technology Knowledge: MS Word | 16 |
| Tasks: Plan coverage of upcoming events and assign work accordingly | 16 |
| Tasks: Plan and co-ordinate activities of staff and assure production deadlines are met | 15 |
| Computer and Technology Knowledge: MS Excel | 14 |
| Tasks: Shorten or lengthen copy | 14 |
| Tasks: Confer with authors, staff writers, reporters and others regarding revisions to copy | 14 |
Editors come from a wide variety of backgrounds but most have a university degree. A liberal arts education with English (particularly useful for book editing) or journalism courses, and a working knowledge of media law, word-processing and online and print publishing programs are recommended. Newspaper editors must have several years of experience reporting or writing. Many copy editors need to be familiar with publishing and printing systems and technologies.
Some editors need specialized knowledge in particular subject areas. For example, editors in the technical textbook industry may need related post-secondary studies in education or in a scientific or technical field.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Individual courses and occasional workshops in editing are offered by post-secondary schools and organizations such as:
The Editors' Association of Canada offers a certification program for editors of written material who work in English. To keep up to date credential holders are required to pay a fee each year and participate in professional development every 5 years.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Editors may work in house or on a freelance (contract) basis for publishers or other publishing organizations. Sometimes, freelance editors are hired directly by authors.
Competition for editorial positions is keen, and most editorial positions go to qualified people who already work in the field. Related volunteer experience and membership in a relevant professional organization are definite assets for people trying to break into this field.
Prospective book editors should be willing to work on a freelance basis or take an entry-level position at a publishing firm (in publicity, promotion, or rights and permissions). When an assistant editor's job becomes vacant, people who have publishing experience and a related degree have a much better chance of being hired than those who do not have experience in a publishing office.
Most magazine publishing companies in Alberta hire only a few editors. Literary magazines usually are edited part time by English professors or interested volunteers. Academic journals often are edited part time by professors in relevant fields.
Promotions in the newspaper business typically involve more supervisory responsibilities. For example, a copy editor may become a section editor or be promoted to an assistant city editor position. The opportunity to work at a larger newspaper often is seen as a promotion. For example, many weekly newspaper editors move into junior daily newspaper positions. Occasionally, an editor may move from newspapers to magazines or to broadcast media. As online content continues to evolve, editors who understand and can work with content management systems have more opportunities available to them.
Skilled freelance editors who have access to modern communication technology may work for organizations all over the world. They must purchase their own equipment and supplies and manage all aspects of their businesses, including marketing and accounting.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
In the 5122: Editors occupational group, 82.0% of people work in:
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 5122: Editors occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 0% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 0 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Editing pay can vary greatly, depending on the nature of the editing work. Generally, freelance editors will charge an hourly rate, which can be higher for substantive editing, slightly lower for copy editing, and still lower for proofreading.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $44.87 | $29.28 | $30.25 |
| Overall | $15.00 | $58.13 | $35.87 | $38.56 |
| Top | $16.00 | $64.30 | $37.28 | $40.31 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $66,788 |
|---|---|
| Information, Culture, Recreation | $54,406 |
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) website: www.albertamagazines.com
Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA) website: www.awna.com
Cultural Human Resources Council, Careers in Writing and Publishing website: www.culturalhrc.ca
Editors' Association of Canada/Association Canadienne des Reviseurs (EAC/ACR) website: www.editors.ca
News Media Canada website: nmc-mic.ca
Society for Technical Communication (STC) website: www.stc.org
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2021. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
