182 metro areas
Editor Salary by City (2026)
Editors earn the most in San Jose, CA, an average of $120,540 a year, against $90,060 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Waterbury, CT ($110,490 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $90,060BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $120,540San Jose, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $110,490Waterbury, CT
- Metro areas
- 182With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for editors
Top 10 metro areas
- San Jose, CA$120,540
- Los Angeles, CA$119,310
- New York, NY-NJ$119,160
- San Francisco, CA$114,550
- Waterbury, CT$110,240
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$104,350
- New Haven, CT$99,420
- Trenton, NJ$97,160
- Bridgeport, CT$96,530
- Santa Rosa, CA$95,580
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $120,540 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $119,310 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $119,160 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $114,550 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $110,240 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104,350 |
| New Haven, CT | $99,420 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $97,160 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $96,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $95,580 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Waterbury, CT$110,240 nominal$110,490
- San Jose, CA$120,540 nominal$109,160
- New York, NY-NJ$119,160 nominal$105,860
- Los Angeles, CA$119,310 nominal$105,060
- San Francisco, CA$114,550 nominal$99,080
- Glens Falls, NY$92,270 nominal$97,260
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$104,350 nominal$95,840
- New Haven, CT$99,420 nominal$95,090
- Trenton, NJ$97,160 nominal$94,170
- Bridgeport, CT$96,530 nominal$90,330
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $110,490 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $109,160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,860 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $105,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,080 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $97,260 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,840 |
| New Haven, CT | $95,090 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $94,170 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $90,330 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Editor salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $120,540 | $70,510 | $145,180 | $109,160 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | $119,310 | $61,820 | $147,620 | $105,060 |
| 3 | New York, NY-NJ | $119,160 | $64,520 | $146,080 | $105,860 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $114,550 | $67,720 | $137,590 | $99,080 |
| 5 | Waterbury, CT | $110,240 | $65,150 | $132,450 | $110,490 |
| 6 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104,350 | $63,420 | $124,510 | $95,840 |
| 7 | New Haven, CT | $99,420 | $68,160 | $114,820 | $95,090 |
| 8 | Trenton, NJ | $97,160 | $62,170 | $114,380 | $94,170 |
| 9 | Bridgeport, CT | $96,530 | $53,330 | $117,830 | $90,330 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa, CA | $95,580 | $56,430 | $114,860 | $88,680 |
| 11 | Boston, MA-NH | $94,390 | $57,760 | $112,420 | $87,180 |
| 12 | Glens Falls, NY | $92,270 | $53,410 | $111,400 | $97,260 |
| 13 | Burlington, VT | $90,000 | $56,530 | $106,500 | $89,150 |
| 14 | Albany, NY | $89,500 | $55,990 | $106,020 | $89,890 |
| 15 | Sacramento, CA | $88,400 | $51,130 | $106,770 | $82,870 |
| 16 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $88,090 | $49,320 | $107,180 | $80,500 |
| 17 | Rochester, NY | $87,320 | $50,000 | $105,680 | $89,990 |
| 18 | Oxnard, CA | $86,840 | $55,660 | $102,190 | $78,560 |
| 19 | Baltimore, MD | $86,170 | $53,750 | $102,150 | $82,470 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $85,450 | $52,830 | $101,500 | $76,890 |
| 21 | Atlanta, GA | $85,180 | $56,620 | $99,240 | $85,130 |
| 22 | Lakeland, FL | $85,010 | $48,010 | $103,230 | $87,510 |
| 23 | San Diego, CA | $83,990 | $49,820 | $100,840 | $75,070 |
| 24 | Boulder, CO | $83,840 | $52,020 | $99,510 | $79,690 |
| 25 | Spokane, WA | $83,740 | $47,050 | $101,800 | $83,450 |
| 26 | Bremerton, WA | $83,510 | $46,920 | $101,550 | $79,080 |
| 27 | Asheville, NC | $82,800 | $48,170 | $99,880 | $85,800 |
| 28 | Durham, NC | $82,780 | $54,160 | $96,890 | $84,840 |
| 29 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $82,580 | $53,930 | $96,680 | $76,040 |
| 30 | Hartford, CT | $82,470 | $45,280 | $100,800 | $80,270 |
| 31 | Palm Bay, FL | $82,220 | $44,990 | $100,570 | $82,220 |
| 32 | Columbus, OH | $82,140 | $49,710 | $98,110 | $86,040 |
| 33 | Miami, FL | $82,080 | $47,920 | $98,900 | $71,900 |
| 34 | Salem, OR | $81,890 | $52,170 | $96,510 | $79,010 |
| 35 | Worcester, MA | $81,680 | $49,150 | $97,700 | $79,670 |
| 36 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $81,620 | $48,240 | $98,050 | $79,590 |
| 37 | Buffalo, NY | $81,370 | $47,940 | $97,840 | $84,900 |
| 38 | Dayton, OH | $81,160 | $50,860 | $96,100 | $87,560 |
| 39 | Chicago, IL-IN | $81,020 | $50,460 | $96,080 | $78,210 |
| 40 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $80,270 | $45,590 | $97,340 | $80,300 |
| 41 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $79,640 | $50,110 | $94,200 | $81,810 |
| 42 | North Port, FL | $79,310 | $40,560 | $98,400 | $77,440 |
| 43 | Amherst Town, MA | $79,290 | $48,670 | $94,390 | $79,100 |
| 44 | Birmingham, AL | $79,160 | $45,390 | $95,800 | $86,380 |
| 45 | Montgomery, AL | $78,960 | $40,000 | $98,160 | $88,040 |
| 46 | Fresno, CA | $78,580 | $47,360 | $93,950 | $76,920 |
| 47 | Oshkosh, WI | $78,230 | $53,100 | $90,600 | $84,180 |
| 48 | Denver, CO | $78,170 | $49,050 | $92,500 | $73,900 |
| 49 | Raleigh, NC | $77,960 | $51,130 | $91,190 | $79,420 |
| 50 | Norwich, CT | $77,790 | $41,120 | $95,850 | $77,450 |
| 51 | Santa Maria, CA | $77,750 | $45,510 | $93,620 | $71,460 |
| 52 | Syracuse, NY | $77,520 | $46,300 | $92,890 | $80,970 |
| 53 | Riverside, CA | $77,460 | $46,780 | $92,580 | $72,770 |
| 54 | Fort Collins, CO | $77,420 | $52,460 | $89,730 | $76,560 |
| 55 | Charlottesville, VA | $77,400 | $51,060 | $90,360 | $78,070 |
| 56 | Portland, OR-WA | $77,290 | $50,560 | $90,460 | $73,320 |
| 57 | Salt Lake City, UT | $77,080 | $44,800 | $93,000 | $76,420 |
| 58 | Richmond, VA | $76,670 | $47,030 | $91,270 | $78,350 |
| 59 | Tampa, FL | $76,630 | $44,470 | $92,460 | $75,950 |
| 60 | Phoenix, AZ | $76,540 | $48,880 | $90,150 | $74,080 |
| 61 | Albuquerque, NM | $75,900 | $42,760 | $92,210 | $79,440 |
| 62 | Milwaukee, WI | $75,840 | $45,450 | $90,810 | $78,240 |
| 63 | Pittsfield, MA | $75,630 | $45,740 | $90,360 | $79,520 |
| 64 | Providence, RI-MA | $75,110 | $50,000 | $87,480 | $73,800 |
| 65 | Chico, CA | $75,070 | $46,300 | $89,250 | $74,180 |
| 66 | Colorado Springs, CO | $75,030 | $48,480 | $88,090 | $74,500 |
| 67 | Cleveland, OH | $75,000 | $46,400 | $89,110 | $79,850 |
| 68 | Bakersfield, CA | $74,920 | $43,680 | $90,290 | $74,260 |
| 69 | Salinas, CA | $74,920 | $48,860 | $87,760 | $68,710 |
| 70 | Toledo, OH | $74,900 | $43,470 | $90,380 | $81,900 |
| 71 | Las Vegas, NV | $74,880 | $49,320 | $87,460 | $74,720 |
| 72 | Manchester, NH | $74,760 | $50,560 | $86,670 | $70,760 |
| 73 | Orlando, FL | $74,570 | $45,070 | $89,090 | $73,530 |
| 74 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $74,420 | $43,410 | $89,710 | $78,260 |
| 75 | Gainesville, FL | $74,380 | $46,030 | $88,360 | $76,890 |
| 76 | Detroit, MI | $74,260 | $49,320 | $86,530 | $74,040 |
| 77 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $74,130 | $47,050 | $87,480 | $80,100 |
| 78 | Santa Cruz, CA | $73,760 | $40,160 | $90,290 | $67,120 |
| 79 | Canton, OH | $73,740 | $42,620 | $89,090 | $82,480 |
| 80 | Olympia, WA | $73,440 | $47,760 | $86,070 | $70,840 |
| 81 | Charleston, SC | $73,300 | $42,410 | $88,500 | $72,600 |
| 82 | Helena, MT | $73,280 | $41,290 | $89,020 | $76,590 |
| 83 | Bend, OR | $72,490 | $48,110 | $84,490 | $69,970 |
| 84 | Springfield, MA | $72,380 | $43,970 | $86,380 | $75,350 |
| 85 | Jacksonville, FL | $72,320 | $43,310 | $86,610 | $72,700 |
| 86 | Nashville, TN | $72,320 | $46,030 | $85,280 | $75,070 |
| 87 | Columbia, SC | $72,260 | $46,700 | $84,840 | $77,150 |
| 88 | Atlantic City, NJ | $72,200 | $47,940 | $84,160 | $73,030 |
| 89 | Green Bay, WI | $72,050 | $51,360 | $82,240 | $77,400 |
| 90 | Ann Arbor, MI | $71,930 | $46,860 | $84,260 | $71,300 |
| 91 | Eau Claire, WI | $71,640 | $41,350 | $86,550 | $77,200 |
| 92 | Waco, TX | $71,640 | $47,110 | $83,700 | $77,410 |
| 93 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $71,570 | $47,820 | $83,260 | $68,280 |
| 94 | Madison, WI | $71,490 | $45,570 | $84,260 | $73,480 |
| 95 | Barnstable Town, MA | $71,450 | $43,060 | $85,430 | $72,650 |
| 96 | Pittsburgh, PA | $71,260 | $40,100 | $86,590 | $75,270 |
| 97 | Lawrence, KS | $71,240 | $52,790 | $80,330 | $78,940 |
| 98 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $71,180 | $42,580 | $85,280 | $74,640 |
| 99 | Augusta, GA-SC | $71,090 | $44,390 | $84,260 | $77,350 |
| 100 | Bellingham, WA | $71,050 | $51,420 | $80,720 | $68,760 |
| 101 | Greensboro, NC | $70,820 | $45,530 | $83,280 | $76,260 |
| 102 | Reno, NV | $70,780 | $43,640 | $84,140 | $70,070 |
| 103 | Indianapolis, IN | $70,680 | $38,900 | $86,340 | $73,860 |
| 104 | Topeka, KS | $70,550 | $44,300 | $83,490 | $79,430 |
| 105 | Killeen, TX | $70,470 | $37,460 | $86,720 | $77,330 |
| 106 | Savannah, GA | $70,470 | $46,400 | $82,330 | $74,020 |
| 107 | Springfield, IL | $70,350 | $49,900 | $80,410 | $75,850 |
| 108 | Missoula, MT | $70,240 | $42,540 | $83,890 | $72,830 |
| 109 | Harrisburg, PA | $70,200 | $41,410 | $84,390 | $71,160 |
| 110 | Anchorage, AK | $69,910 | $48,800 | $80,310 | $66,320 |
| 111 | Lansing, MI | $69,740 | $43,680 | $82,580 | $73,420 |
| 112 | Cape Coral, FL | $69,600 | $41,560 | $83,410 | $68,000 |
| 113 | Provo, UT | $69,490 | $47,470 | $80,350 | $70,740 |
| 114 | Deltona, FL | $69,410 | $35,840 | $85,920 | $69,850 |
| 115 | Santa Fe, NM | $69,350 | $40,830 | $83,410 | $70,220 |
| 116 | Tallahassee, FL | $69,350 | $43,760 | $81,950 | $73,840 |
| 117 | Dubuque, IA | $69,180 | $40,620 | $83,240 | $79,220 |
| 118 | Winston, NC | $68,830 | $43,800 | $81,160 | $74,780 |
| 119 | Bozeman, MT | $68,700 | $33,740 | $85,920 | $67,020 |
| 120 | Boise City, ID | $68,580 | $41,700 | $81,810 | $69,700 |
| 121 | Lancaster, PA | $68,560 | $44,890 | $80,200 | $69,780 |
| 122 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $68,330 | $46,590 | $79,040 | $72,560 |
| 123 | Baton Rouge, LA | $68,160 | $42,680 | $80,700 | $75,080 |
| 124 | Ogden, UT | $68,120 | $45,320 | $79,350 | $67,880 |
| 125 | Tucson, AZ | $67,750 | $41,640 | $80,600 | $69,920 |
| 126 | Roanoke, VA | $67,660 | $42,120 | $80,250 | $72,270 |
| 127 | Midland, TX | $67,430 | $50,900 | $75,570 | $70,400 |
| 128 | Des Moines, IA | $67,290 | $43,640 | $78,940 | $73,380 |
| 129 | Lexington, KY | $67,080 | $41,180 | $79,830 | $72,220 |
| 130 | Scranton, PA | $66,980 | $40,230 | $80,160 | $71,590 |
| 131 | Rockford, IL | $66,870 | $39,520 | $80,350 | $72,560 |
| 132 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $66,770 | $42,390 | $78,770 | $68,170 |
| 133 | Iowa City, IA | $66,730 | $47,050 | $76,420 | $72,920 |
| 134 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,620 | $38,900 | $80,290 | $60,040 |
| 135 | Akron, OH | $66,520 | $40,350 | $79,390 | $71,240 |
| 136 | Greenville, SC | $66,390 | $41,870 | $78,460 | $71,190 |
| 137 | Wichita, KS | $66,230 | $44,780 | $76,790 | $74,460 |
| 138 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $66,140 | $43,580 | $77,250 | $74,350 |
| 139 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $66,080 | $40,680 | $78,600 | $70,570 |
| 140 | College Station, TX | $66,020 | $41,830 | $77,920 | $72,590 |
| 141 | Knoxville, TN | $65,690 | $40,230 | $78,250 | $70,960 |
| 142 | Eugene, OR | $65,670 | $41,000 | $77,790 | $64,660 |
| 143 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $65,500 | $40,140 | $78,000 | $71,060 |
| 144 | Grand Rapids, MI | $65,420 | $44,720 | $75,610 | $68,470 |
| 145 | Erie, PA | $65,400 | $36,250 | $79,770 | $71,910 |
| 146 | Fargo, ND-MN | $65,370 | $39,750 | $78,000 | $71,940 |
| 147 | Reading, PA | $65,250 | $33,070 | $81,080 | $67,230 |
| 148 | Champaign, IL | $65,080 | $43,740 | $75,610 | $70,200 |
| 149 | Youngstown, OH | $64,810 | $39,400 | $77,310 | $74,160 |
| 150 | San Antonio, TX | $63,840 | $41,120 | $75,030 | $67,400 |
| 151 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $63,150 | $46,590 | $71,300 | $69,680 |
| 152 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $63,070 | $38,670 | $75,090 | $68,960 |
| 153 | Springfield, MO | $62,360 | $38,600 | $74,050 | $70,400 |
| 154 | Peoria, IL | $62,210 | $43,350 | $71,490 | $68,190 |
| 155 | Portland, ME | $62,210 | $36,900 | $74,670 | $61,080 |
| 156 | Davenport, IA-IL | $61,840 | $40,060 | $72,570 | $69,420 |
| 157 | El Paso, TX | $61,800 | $36,500 | $74,260 | $68,730 |
| 158 | New Orleans, LA | $61,730 | $37,520 | $73,650 | $66,670 |
| 159 | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,380 | $39,370 | $72,200 | $67,890 |
| 160 | Jefferson City, MO | $60,610 | $39,580 | $70,950 | $68,890 |
| 161 | Austin, TX | $60,340 | $32,200 | $74,210 | $61,530 |
| 162 | Omaha, NE-IA | $60,300 | $39,440 | $70,550 | $65,610 |
| 163 | Traverse City, MI | $60,070 | $37,750 | $71,050 | $64,330 |
| 164 | Lincoln, NE | $60,030 | $35,710 | $71,990 | $65,550 |
| 165 | Medford, OR | $59,920 | $41,160 | $69,160 | $59,070 |
| 166 | Columbia, MO | $59,010 | $43,450 | $66,660 | $65,980 |
| 167 | Jackson, MS | $58,340 | $32,300 | $71,180 | $65,520 |
| 168 | St. Cloud, MN | $58,140 | $44,010 | $65,100 | $66,350 |
| 169 | Corpus Christi, TX | $57,680 | $39,040 | $66,850 | $62,240 |
| 170 | Fort Wayne, IN | $57,390 | $32,820 | $69,490 | $61,990 |
| 171 | Gainesville, GA | $56,450 | $37,960 | $65,560 | $58,340 |
| 172 | Lafayette, LA | $56,120 | $36,940 | $65,560 | $64,350 |
| 173 | Lubbock, TX | $55,790 | $35,380 | $65,810 | $61,090 |
| 174 | Little Rock, AR | $54,640 | $36,840 | $63,420 | $61,140 |
| 175 | Waterloo, IA | $54,370 | $42,060 | $60,420 | $62,450 |
| 176 | Fayetteville, AR | $53,350 | $32,700 | $63,520 | $58,400 |
| 177 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $52,850 | $35,170 | $61,570 | $61,140 |
| 178 | Tulsa, OK | $52,310 | $33,760 | $61,460 | $58,630 |
| 179 | Lafayette, IN | $51,960 | $32,990 | $61,300 | $55,610 |
| 180 | Bangor, ME | $51,380 | $36,440 | $58,720 | $53,240 |
| 181 | San Juan, PR | $47,170 | $31,740 | $54,790 | N/A |
| 182 | Houston, TX | $45,030 | $28,520 | $53,190 | $45,660 |
More
More on editors
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Editor salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays editors the most?
San Jose, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $120,540 a year, followed by Los Angeles, CA ($119,310), New York, NY-NJ ($119,160), San Francisco, CA ($114,550). The national mean is $90,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do editors earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Waterbury, CT ($110,490 at national prices, $110,240 nominal), San Jose, CA ($109,160 at national prices, $120,540 nominal), New York, NY-NJ ($105,860 at national prices, $119,160 nominal).
How much do editors make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $119,160; Los Angeles, CA: $119,310; Chicago, IL-IN: $81,020; Houston, TX: $45,030; Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV: $104,350 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do editors earn the least?
Of the 182 metro areas with their own estimate, Houston, TX has the lowest mean wage, $45,030. At local prices that is worth $45,660.