Career comparison
Editor vs. English Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
English professors earn more at the median ($78,760 vs. $77,920), while editors usually get to work faster (Writing experience plus on-the-job learning of training). Editors plan, review and improve writing for publications, websites and books. English professors teach college students to read closely and write well.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Editor | English Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $77,920 ($37.46/hr) | $78,760 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $41,250 – $153,700 | $48,270 – $137,250 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -1.1% (a projected decline) | 0.0% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 7,900 | 4,500 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | Writing experience plus on-the-job learning | 6–8 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | Editing certificate | Ph.D. in English |
| Work setting | Editors work in offices and remotely.. | Faculty work in classrooms, offices and libraries.. |
What each job does
Editor
- Plan content
- Assign stories
- Edit copy
- Fact-check
- Write headlines
English Professor
- Teach composition and literature
- Give feedback on student writing
- Research and publish
- Mentor students
- Advise literary magazines
How they’re similar
Both careers involve creative work, desk work, working independently, and high-pay. They sit in different fields, arts, media & design and education & childcare, but share transferable skills such as judgment and patience.
Which should you choose?
Choose editor if…
- I love words
- I catch mistakes
- I give tactful feedback
Choose english professor if…
- I love books
- I love writing
- I give careful feedback
Still torn? Take the Editor fit quiz and the English Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, editor or english professor?
English Professors earn more at the median: $78,760 versus $77,920 for editors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Editors typically train faster (Writing experience plus on-the-job learning) than english professors (6–8 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects english professors to grow 0.0% from 2025–35, compared with -1.1% for editors.