6 free templates for the four jobs that share this title: digital publication, book publisher, content team, newsletter, post-production, and part-time. With the overtime classification generic templates get wrong. Download as DOCX.
The first assistant editor posting I ever wrote was a senior editor job description with the seniority deleted. It pulled in people who wanted to run a section and almost nobody who wanted the job I was actually filling: the one that keeps the calendar honest, the facts checked, and the CMS clean before Friday. The posting described a decision maker. The opening was for the person who makes decisions possible.
Part of the problem is the title. Assistant editor means at least four different jobs depending on who is hiring, and one of them is not editorial at all. A post-production assistant editor manages media, syncs footage, and preps deliverables. An editorial assistant at a book publisher reads submissions and tracks manuscripts. Neither would recognize the other's week.
At FirstHR we build hiring templates for small teams that write their own postings between two other jobs. The six below cover the four settings that use this title, plus a part-time version, each with the overtime classification and the intern warning that generic templates leave out. More sit in the hiring templates library.
TL;DR
Assistant editor covers four different jobs: publication production editing, book publishing support, content marketing, and film post-production. In nearly all of them the role is non-exempt, meaning hourly with overtime past 40 hours a week. Benchmark pay to the 10th to 25th percentile for editors ($41,250 to $57,300, BLS OEWS May 2025), not the median. Six templates below.
Four Jobs, One Title
Before you write a word, decide which assistant editor you are hiring. The title is used by publications, book publishers, content marketing teams, and post-production houses for work that shares a name and nothing else. A candidate who is excellent at one is usually unqualified for another.
This matters more than it sounds. The wrong version in your posting costs you a hiring cycle: applicants self-select on the title, read a description that half matches, and apply anyway. You then spend three weeks discovering the mismatch in interviews.
Assistant editor at a publication
The production spine
Line edits, fact checks, builds and publishes in the CMS, runs the calendar, and manages freelancers. Junior to an editor who owns the decisions. Almost always non-exempt and hourly.
Editorial assistant at a publisher
Manuscripts and schedules
Reads submissions, tracks titles through production, prepares contracts and permissions, and handles author and agent correspondence. Entry level, hourly, and seasonal in its overtime.
Assistant editor in post-production
A different job entirely
Media management, syncing, project hygiene, versioning, and deliverables behind a picture editor. Same words on the posting, unrelated skill set, and a separate wage benchmark.
Assistant editor on a content team
In-house or agency
Edits marketing content, enforces brand voice, publishes with SEO fields, and keeps freelancers on deadline. The fastest-growing version of the role at small companies.
Say Which Job It Is in the First Line
Open the posting with the setting, not the title. Assistant Editor, Weekly B2B Newsletter tells a candidate more in six words than three paragraphs of duties. If you are hiring for post-production, put the finishing platform in the first line so editorial candidates stop reading and post assistants keep going. Every hour a mismatched candidate spends in your pipeline is an hour neither of you gets back.
What an Assistant Editor Actually Does
An assistant editor executes the editorial process a senior editor owns. The work splits into four buckets: editing and fact checking drafts, production and publishing, calendar and contributor management, and a small amount of original writing. The proportions shift by setting, but the pattern holds everywhere.
The defining trait is authority, not task list. An assistant editor applies a style guide, checks a claim against a source, and escalates anything unusual. The senior editor decides what runs, what gets commissioned, and what a piece is worth. That distinction is what drives the overtime classification later on this page, so it is worth writing into the job description explicitly rather than leaving implied.
Bucket
Typical weekly work
Where the senior editor still decides
Editing
Line edits and proofreads assigned drafts against the style guide
What gets cut, what gets rewritten, what gets killed
Fact checking
Verifies claims, quotes, figures, and links, and logs sources
Whether a contested claim is worth the legal risk
Production
Builds pieces in the CMS: headlines, metadata, art, alt text, SEO fields
Placement, promotion, and publication timing
Calendar
Tracks deadlines and status, chases contributors, flags slippage
Produces a set number of short pieces under their own byline
Assignment, angle, and final approval
Two duties are missed most often in postings and cause the most friction later: who owns the style guide, and who owns the freelance relationship. Assign both explicitly. Our general guide to writing a job description covers the structure that applies to any role.
What Belongs in the Posting
A good assistant editor posting does four things at once: it identifies which version of the job this is, it filters out the mismatched, it protects you legally, and it closes the candidate. Most postings do only the first, badly. Here is the full inventory.
What candidates read first
What you publish and for whom, in two sentences
Which of the four assistant editor jobs this is
Volume: pieces, issues, or projects per week
Who the role reports to and who it supports
What filters the pile
Years of experience stated as a range, not a wish
Style guide and CMS or edit platform by name
An edit test or reader report as part of the process
Degree marked required, preferred, or not required
What protects you
FLSA classification written on the posting
Overtime and timekeeping expectations stated plainly
Essential functions and any schedule requirements
Equal opportunity statement
What closes the hire
Hourly rate or a good-faith salary range
What the next rung is and when it gets discussed
Byline opportunities and whose name goes on what
A named person and a real deadline to apply
The item small teams skip most is the classification line, and it is the one that costs real money later. Stating that the role is non-exempt and hourly on the posting sets the expectation before the offer, and it forces you to make the decision while you still have time to think about it.
6 Assistant Editor Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same seven sections: company overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a classification and compliance note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you rewrite.
Download All 6 Assistant Editor Job Description Templates
Digital publication, book publisher, content team, newsletter, post-production, and part-time. All in one download.
Digital Publication
The general version
For a publication with a schedule: line editing, fact checking, CMS production, calendar ownership, and freelance coordination.
Book / Trade Publisher
Editorial assistant
For acquisitions and production support: reader reports, manuscript tracking, contracts and permissions, and proof stages.
Content Team or Agency
In-house marketing
For a brand or agency content function: brand voice enforcement, SEO fields, freelance briefs, and review routing.
Newsletter / Small Team
Second editorial hire
For a newsletter operation: issue build, pre-send checklist, deliverability, sponsorship disclosure, and performance recaps.
Post-Production
Film and video
For the post pipeline: ingest, sync, project structure, versioning, turnovers, deliverables, and verified backups.
Part-Time / Contract
Under a full headcount
For fixed weekly support, with the employee versus contractor decision spelled out before you post rather than after.
Template 1: Assistant Editor, Digital Publication
The general editorial version, with line editing, fact checking, CMS production, calendar ownership, and freelance coordination built in. Start here if your setting is a magazine, a site, or a trade publication.
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible) unless the duties test is
clearly met (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] publishes [beat or subject] for [audience] at [publication name].
We ship [number] pieces a week across [articles, newsletters, video, social] and
we are hiring an Assistant Editor to keep that pipeline moving and accurate.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Editor supports the editorial team by line editing and fact
checking drafts, managing the content calendar, preparing pieces for publication
in the CMS, coordinating with freelance contributors, and handling the day to
day production work that keeps a publishing schedule on time.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Line edit and proofread drafts against our style guide before senior review
•Fact check claims, quotes, links, and figures, and log every source
•Build and publish pieces in [CMS], including headlines, decks, art, and SEO
fields
•Own the editorial calendar: deadlines, status, and who owes what
•Brief, chase, and onboard freelance contributors and process their invoices
•Write [number] short pieces per [week / month] under your own byline
•Prepare newsletter and social versions of published pieces
•Maintain the style guide, the source log, and the archive
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1 to 3] years in an editorial, publishing, or content production role, or an
equivalent internship and portfolio
•Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, communications, or a related field
[required / preferred / not required: choose one]
•Demonstrated command of [AP style / Chicago style / our house style]
•Working knowledge of [CMS name] and [analytics tool]
•Clips or an edit test that shows judgment, not just clean grammar
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Most assistant editor roles are non-exempt: hourly and entitled to overtime past
40 hours in a week. The federal rule on creative professionals states that media
employees are not exempt creative professionals if they only collect, organize,
and record information that is routine or already public. Production editing,
fact checking, calendar management, and CMS work sit on that side of the line.
The administrative exemption is also a poor fit, because it requires the
exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance,
which an assistant editor supporting a senior editor usually does not have. If
you do classify the role as exempt, the salary basis floor is $684 per week
($35,568 per year) and the duties have to match the paperwork. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and [3] clips.
Template 2: Editorial Assistant, Book or Trade Publisher
For acquisitions and production support: reader reports, manuscript tracking, contracts and permissions, proof stages, and author correspondence. If the role is mostly copy correction rather than coordination, the copy editor templates are a closer fit.
Template 3: Assistant Editor, Content Team or Agency
For an in-house marketing or agency content function: brand voice enforcement, SEO fields, freelance briefs, and review routing through legal or product. Pair it with the content writer templates if you are staffing the writing side at the same time.
Assistant Editor Job Description (Content Marketing Team or Agency)
ASSISTANT EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION (CONTENT MARKETING TEAM OR AGENCY)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Content Lead / Managing Editor / Marketing Director]
[Company Name] is a [B2B software company / content agency / professional
services firm] in [City, State]. We publish [blog, case studies, newsletters,
gated guides] for [audience], and we are hiring an Assistant Editor to raise the
quality bar and take production off the content lead's desk.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Editor edits, fact checks, and publishes marketing content,
enforces the brand voice and style guide across staff and freelance writers,
manages the content calendar, and handles the SEO and CMS mechanics of getting a
piece live.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Edit drafts from [staff writers / freelancers / subject matter experts] for
accuracy, structure, and brand voice
•Fact check every claim and statistic, and require a named source
•Publish in [CMS], including metadata, internal links, images, and alt text
•Maintain the content calendar and hold contributors to deadlines
•Brief freelancers, review their first drafts, and track their invoices
•Keep the style guide and brand voice document current
•Pull [traffic / engagement / conversion] reporting on published pieces
•Coordinate reviews with [legal / compliance / product] where required
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1 to 3] years editing marketing, publishing, or editorial content
•Bachelor's degree [required / preferred / not required: choose one]
•Working knowledge of on-page SEO and [CMS name]
•Ability to edit technical material in [industry] without breaking accuracy
•Portfolio showing before and after edits, not only published bylines
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Classify this role as non-exempt unless the duties genuinely change. Marketing
job titles inflate fast, and calling a production editing role a manager does not
create an exemption. The administrative exemption requires the exercise of
discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and an editor who
executes a strategy someone else owns does not meet it. Any exempt classification
also requires a salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year). Track hours,
pay overtime past 40 in a week, and revisit the classification if the role grows
into owning the content strategy and the budget. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and an edit test.
Template 4: Assistant Editor, Newsletter or Small Digital Team
For a newsletter operation where the second editorial hire touches every issue: build, pre-send checklist, deliverability, sponsorship disclosure, and performance recaps.
Assistant Editor Job Description (Newsletter / Small Digital Team)
ASSISTANT EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION (NEWSLETTER OR SMALL DIGITAL TEAM)
[Company Name] publishes [newsletter name] to [number] subscribers [frequency].
The team is [number] people. We are hiring an Assistant Editor as the second
editorial hire, which means the job is broad by design and the person in it
touches every issue before it ships.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Editor prepares each issue end to end: editing and fact checking
the copy, building the send in the email platform, proofing every link and
subject line, scheduling the send, and reporting on what performed.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Edit and fact check each issue against the style guide before send
•Build the issue in [email platform] and proof every link, image, and CTA
•Run the pre-send checklist and send test emails to the whole team
•Schedule sends and monitor deliverability and bounce reports
•Track open, click, and unsubscribe rates and write a short weekly recap
•Manage the run of show for [sponsorships / partner placements] and confirm
every advertiser disclosure is present and accurate
•Maintain the archive, the subject line log, and the swipe file
•Write [section name] each issue under your own byline
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1 to 3] years in editorial, newsletter, or content production work
•Hands-on experience with [email platform] or a comparable tool
•Obsessive proofreading: a broken link in a send cannot be recalled
•Comfort in a small team where the job description changes as we grow
•[Interest in / knowledge of] [subject area]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
This is a non-exempt hourly role and send days create real overtime, so track
hours from the first week. Two extra items belong in a newsletter role. First,
paid placements require clear and conspicuous disclosure under Federal Trade
Commission guidance, and the person building the send is the last line of defense
on that. Second, commercial email carries CAN-SPAM obligations including accurate
header and subject lines, a working unsubscribe honored within 10 business days,
and a valid physical postal address in every send. Write both into the role so
they are somebody's explicit job. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and the three
newsletters you read every week.
Template 5: Assistant Editor, Post-Production
For the post pipeline behind a picture editor: ingest and transcode, syncing, project structure, version control, turnovers, deliverables, and verified backups. If you are hiring the person who cuts rather than the person who supports, use the video editor templates.
Assistant Editor Job Description (Post-Production, Film and Video)
ASSISTANT EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION (POST-PRODUCTION, FILM AND VIDEO)
[Company Name] produces [documentary, branded video, series, commercial] work in
[City, State]. We are hiring an Assistant Editor to run the post pipeline behind
[number] editors: media management, syncing, project hygiene, and delivery.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Editor prepares and protects the edit: ingesting and organizing
media, syncing and grouping footage, maintaining project structure, tracking
versions and notes, preparing exports and deliverables, and keeping backups
verified.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Ingest, transcode, and organize all camera, audio, and graphics media
•Sync and group footage and build selects and stringouts
•Maintain project structure, bin conventions, and naming standards in
[Avid / Premiere / Resolve / Final Cut]
•Manage version control and log client and director notes against timecode
•Prepare review exports, cut downs, and platform deliverables to spec
•Track music, stock, and archival assets with license terms and expiry dates
•Run and verify backups on [schedule] across [locations]
•Prepare turnovers for [color, sound, graphics] and conform the final
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1 to 3] years assisting on [genre] projects
•Fluency in [Avid Media Composer / Adobe Premiere Pro / DaVinci Resolve]
•Working knowledge of codecs, frame rates, timecode, and delivery specs
•Rigorous media management habits and verified backup discipline
•Availability for [posting schedule, delivery crunches, on-site days]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Post-production assistant editors are non-exempt: hourly and owed overtime past
40 hours in a week, and in some states owed daily overtime as well. Long days are
normal in delivery weeks, which is precisely why hours must be tracked rather
than assumed. Do not classify a project-based assistant editor as an independent
contractor when you set the schedule, the room, the software, and the method:
that is an employee under the economic reality test, whatever the deal memo says.
Put the work-for-hire and IP assignment language in the agreement in writing, and
confirm music, stock, and archival licenses cover your actual distribution.
This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / day / week], [overtime policy], [kit fee]
To apply, email __ with your resume and a list of projects
with your role and the finishing platform on each.
Template 6: Part-Time or Contract Assistant Editor
For fixed weekly support below a full headcount, with the employee versus contractor decision spelled out before you post. Our breakdown of employee versus contractor classification works through the tests in detail.
PART-TIME OR CONTRACT ASSISTANT EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Editor / Founder]
Employment type: Part-time employee [hours per week], or independent contractor
(read the classification note before you choose)
FLSA status: Non-exempt if an employee
Compensation: $_ per [hour / piece / project]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] needs consistent editorial support without a full-time headcount.
This role covers [number] hours a week on a set schedule, handling the editing
and production work that has been landing on [role] instead.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Part-Time Assistant Editor edits and fact checks assigned pieces, publishes
them in the CMS, keeps the content calendar current, and coordinates with
contributors, all on a fixed weekly schedule agreed in advance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Edit [number] pieces per week for accuracy, structure, and style
•Fact check claims and confirm every link and citation resolves
•Publish in [CMS] with complete metadata and images
•Keep the content calendar and contributor status current
•Send contributor briefs and first-round feedback
•Attend [one] planning call per [week] at an agreed time
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1 to 3] years of editing experience and a portfolio of edited work
•Reliable availability during [specific hours or days]
•Command of [AP style / Chicago style / our house style]
•Direct, fast written communication with a distributed team
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Decide employee or contractor honestly before you post, because the answer drives
the paperwork, the tax treatment, and your exposure. If you set the schedule,
assign the queue, require a specific tool, and direct how the editing is done,
you have a part-time employee: run payroll, track hours, and pay overtime past 40
hours in a week even for a part-timer who picks up extra work. A genuine
contractor sets their own method, works for other clients, and bills against a
scope of work. Part-time employees may also be entitled to state sick leave
accrual and, once hours cross the applicable threshold, to benefits under your
plan documents. Federal reporting for contractor payments now begins at $2,000
for payments made on or after January 1, 2026. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / piece / project], [payment terms]
To apply, email __ with your resume, your rate, and your
weekly availability.
Exempt or Non-Exempt? Assistant Editor Is Almost Always Non-Exempt
An assistant editor is non-exempt in nearly every setting: hourly, and owed overtime for every hour past 40 in a workweek. Two exemptions get attempted, and both fail for reasons specific to this role rather than for a technicality.
The creative professional exemption is the one employers reach for first, because editorial work feels creative. The regulation on creative professionals closes that door directly: media employees are not exempt creative professionals if they only collect, organize, and record information that is routine or already public. Fact checking, style enforcement, and CMS production are exactly that.
The creative professional exemption does not reach this role
The federal regulation on creative professionals is explicit about media: employees of newspapers, magazines, television, and other media are not exempt creative professionals if they only collect, organize, and record information that is routine or already public. An assistant editor who checks facts, applies a style guide, fills CMS fields, chases contributors, and keeps the calendar is doing exactly that kind of work. The exemption is aimed at people whose work depends on invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized artistic or creative field, and whose output reflects their own judgment rather than an editor's instruction. Writing a few bylined pieces does not flip the classification, because the test looks at the primary duty across the whole job, not the most interesting slice of it. This is general information, not legal advice.
The administrative exemption fails on discretion
The second exemption employers reach for is administrative, and it fails for a different reason. That test requires a primary duty involving the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance, which means real authority to make or recommend consequential decisions without close supervision. An assistant editor works to a senior editor's calls on what runs, what gets cut, what gets commissioned, and what a piece is worth. Following a style guide, applying a checklist, and escalating anything unusual is the opposite of the standard. Any exempt classification also has to clear the salary basis floor of $684 per week, which works out to $35,568 a year, and salary alone never creates an exemption on its own. Classify on the actual day, not the title on the offer letter. This is general information, not legal advice.
Non-exempt means hours get tracked from week one
Once the role is non-exempt, three obligations follow and none of them are optional. Track actual hours worked, including the evening a send goes out late and the weekend before a launch. Pay overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for every hour past 40 in a workweek, and check whether your state adds daily overtime on top of the federal weekly rule. Keep the payroll records the Fair Labor Standards Act requires. The failure mode in small editorial teams is predictable: everyone is salaried in spirit, nobody logs a timesheet, and a claim two years later arrives with a presumption in the employee's favor because the employer has no records to rebut it. Set up timekeeping before the first day, not after the first complaint. This is general information, not legal advice.
An unpaid intern is not a cheaper assistant editor
Publishing runs on internships, and this is where small outlets get into trouble. The Department of Labor applies a primary beneficiary test with seven factors to decide whether an intern at a for-profit employer is really an employee owed minimum wage and overtime. Two factors matter most here: whether the internship provides training comparable to an educational environment, and whether the intern's work complements rather than displaces the work of paid employees. An intern who fact checks the queue, builds the CMS entries, and covers the calendar because you have not filled the assistant editor role is displacing paid work, and no offer letter fixes that. No single factor decides the question and courts look at the economic reality of the relationship. If the work is the job, pay for it. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you are still unsure which side a role falls on, our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through both duties tests. Once the role is non-exempt, the mechanics of calculating overtime correctly matter more than the classification decision itself, because that is where the money is actually lost.
Timekeeping Is the Whole Defense
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act the employer carries the recordkeeping obligation, and when an employer has no records the employee's own reasonable estimate of hours worked can carry the day. In small editorial teams the pattern is always the same: everyone is treated as salaried in spirit, nobody logs hours, and the gap only surfaces two years later. Set up timekeeping before the first shift, require it, and keep the records for the full retention period.
The Internship Pipeline Problem
Publishing runs on internships, and that is where small outlets create the most exposure. If an unpaid intern is doing assistant editor work, the Department of Labor and the courts treat that intern as an employee owed minimum wage and overtime, regardless of what anybody signed.
The controlling framework is the primary beneficiary test set out in the Department of Labor's fact sheet on internship programs. It weighs seven factors, no single one of which decides the outcome, and it looks at the economic reality of the relationship rather than the label on it.
Signal in your program
Points toward intern
Points toward employee
Compensation
Both sides clearly understand there is no pay
Pay is promised, implied, or expected
Training
Comparable to what an educational environment provides
On-the-job training for your production process only
Academic tie
Integrated with coursework or earns academic credit
No connection to any course of study
Schedule
Accommodates the academic calendar
Set by your publishing schedule
Duration
Limited to the period of real learning benefit
Open-ended and renewed indefinitely
Work performed
Complements the work of paid employees
Displaces work a paid employee would otherwise do
Job expectation
No entitlement to a paid job at the end
Held out as the route into the open role
The practical rule for a small publication is simple. If the internship exists because you have unfilled production work, it is a job. Structure a real program with a learning plan and a mentor, or post the assistant editor role and pay for it. Our guide to building an internship program covers the structure that survives scrutiny.
What to Pay an Assistant Editor
There is no separate federal wage series for assistant editors, so any number quoted as an assistant editor median is a market estimate rather than survey data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics folds the role into Editors (SOC 27-3041), which pools it with senior and executive editors, and into Film and Video Editors (SOC 27-4032) on the post-production side.
That pooling matters. Using the editor median as a benchmark for an entry-level production role overstates it by tens of thousands of dollars. Benchmark to the bottom of the distribution instead.
Editors: the Full Percentile Ladder
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), editors nationally earned $41,250 at the 10th percentile, $57,300 at the 25th, a median of $77,920, $106,100 at the 75th, and $153,700 at the 90th. The median works out to $37.46 an hour. An assistant editor sits in the bottom quarter of that range, not the middle (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Benchmark occupation (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
10th percentile
25th percentile
Median
Use it for
Editors (27-3041)
$41,250
$57,300
$77,920
Assistant editor at a publication or content team
Proofreaders and copy markers (43-9081)
$34,510
$41,170
$51,120
Roles weighted toward correction and production
Writers and authors (27-3043)
$44,310
$58,230
$76,910
Roles with a substantial bylined writing share
Film and video editors (27-4032)
$40,280
$52,720
$75,420
Post-production assistant editor
Set the rate from the 10th to 25th percentile band of the closest occupation, then adjust for your metro, and quote it hourly because the role is non-exempt. Publish a good-faith range wherever pay transparency laws apply. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook projects employment of editors to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, slower than the average across all occupations, which means candidate supply at the junior end is not your constraint. Selection quality is.
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Hiring an Assistant Editor Without an HR Department
Small editorial hires fail in three predictable places: the posting is a demoted senior description, the process tests writing instead of editing, and nobody sets up timekeeping for a non-exempt hire until something goes wrong. Each has a fix that costs an afternoon.
You are writing the posting between shipping two pieces and answering a contributor
At a small publication, an agency, or a founder-run newsletter, the person writing the assistant editor job description is the editor who most needs the help. The predictable result is a posting assembled from a senior editor description with the seniority deleted, which attracts people who want to run a section and repels the person who is genuinely good at production. The fix is structural rather than verbal: keep one skeleton you reuse every time, and rewrite only the parts that are specific to this hire. What you publish, the volume, the tools, the reporting line, the pay, and the classification. Everything else stays put, which is the whole reason the six templates below share the same seven sections.
The edit test is the only signal that matters and most processes skip it
Clips prove someone can write. They prove nothing about whether that person can improve someone else's draft without flattening it, catch a fabricated statistic, or spot the sentence a lawyer will circle. Send a short paid edit test: a real 800-word draft with three planted problems, a structural weakness, an unsourced claim, and a style guide violation. Ask for tracked changes and a two-paragraph note explaining the calls. It takes a candidate an hour, it costs you an hour of pay, and it separates the field faster than any interview question. Pay for the test, keep it short, and use the same draft for everyone so the comparison is honest.
The hire is non-exempt and nothing in your setup is ready for that
The classification decision creates immediate operational work: timekeeping from day one, an overtime policy someone actually reads, a signed acknowledgment on file, and a paper trail that survives a claim years later. Small editorial teams tend to discover this in month three. FirstHR was built for that gap. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every hire, e-signature handles the offer and the policy acknowledgments, document management stores the signed forms and style guide sign-offs against each employee profile, and training modules cover the fact-checking and disclosure standards before the first piece ships. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. Note that FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Once the offer is signed, the work becomes a repeatable onboarding checklist: signed offer, tax and eligibility forms, timekeeping setup, style guide acknowledgment, CMS and tool access, and the fact-checking standard in writing before the first piece ships.
Key Takeaways
Assistant editor covers four unrelated jobs (publication production, book publishing support, content marketing, and film post-production), so name the setting in the first line of the posting.
The role is non-exempt in nearly every setting: the creative professional exemption excludes media employees who only collect, organize, and record routine or public information, and the administrative exemption fails on the discretion test.
Non-exempt means timekeeping from day one, overtime past 40 hours a week, and payroll records that survive a claim filed years later.
An unpaid intern who clears your fact-checking queue is displacing paid work and is an employee under the Department of Labor primary beneficiary test.
Benchmark pay to the 10th to 25th percentile band, $41,250 to $57,300 for editors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), because the $77,920 median pools assistant editors with senior and executive editors.
A short paid edit test on a real draft with planted problems separates candidates faster than any interview question, because clips prove writing and not editing.
A non-exempt hire creates paperwork the day the offer is signed. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every hire, with e-signature for the offer and policy acknowledgments, document storage for signed forms and style guide sign-offs, and training modules for the fact-checking and disclosure standards. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an assistant editor do?
An assistant editor supports a senior editor by handling the production work that keeps a publishing schedule accurate and on time. In practice that means line editing and proofreading drafts against a style guide, fact checking claims and figures, building and publishing pieces in the CMS with headlines and metadata, owning the editorial calendar, briefing and chasing freelance contributors, and writing a small number of pieces under their own byline. The distinguishing feature is authority: an assistant editor executes, and a senior editor decides what runs, what gets commissioned, and what a piece is worth. In post-production the same title means something else entirely, covering media management, syncing, project structure, versioning, and deliverables behind a picture editor. Name which version you are hiring for in the first line of the posting.
Is an assistant editor exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
Non-exempt in almost every case, which means hourly and entitled to overtime past 40 hours in a workweek. Two exemptions get attempted and both usually fail. The federal rule on creative professionals states that media employees are not exempt creative professionals if they only collect, organize, and record information that is routine or already public, and fact checking, style enforcement, and CMS production sit squarely in that description. The administrative exemption requires the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and an assistant editor working to a senior editor’s decisions does not meet it. Any exempt classification also has to clear a salary of at least $684 per week, or $35,568 a year, and salary alone never creates an exemption. Classify on the actual primary duty, track hours from day one, and pay the overtime. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between an assistant editor and an editorial assistant?
The two titles overlap heavily and the difference is usually the employer, not the work. Assistant editor is the common title at magazines, digital publications, newsletters, and content marketing teams, and the job leans toward editing, fact checking, and production of published pieces. Editorial assistant is the standard entry title at book and trade publishers, and the job leans toward reading submissions, tracking manuscripts through production stages, preparing contracts and permissions, and handling author and agent correspondence. Assistant editor sometimes implies one step more seniority and more hands-on editing, but no standard governs either title, so a posting has to describe the actual duties rather than rely on the label. Both are entry to junior roles that support a decision maker, and both should be classified non-exempt in nearly every setting.
How much should I pay an assistant editor?
There is no separate federal wage series for assistant editors, so benchmark against the bottom of the editor range rather than the median. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), editors nationally earned a median of $77,920 a year, but that figure pools assistant editors with senior and executive editors. The relevant band is the 10th to 25th percentile, which runs $41,250 to $57,300 for editors. Proofreaders and copy markers, whose work is closest to production editing, earned a median of $51,120 with a 10th percentile of $34,510. For post-production, film and video editors ran a 10th to 25th percentile band of $40,280 to $52,720. Adjust for your metro, publish a good-faith range where pay transparency rules apply, and quote an hourly rate because the role is non-exempt.
What should an assistant editor job description include?
Seven things, in this order. First, what you publish and for whom, in two sentences, plus which version of the assistant editor job this is. Second, a position summary naming the senior editor the role supports. Third, responsibilities written as the actual weekly work rather than aspirations: number of pieces edited, fact checking standard, CMS duties, calendar ownership, freelance coordination. Fourth, qualifications with a years-of-experience range and the style guide and platforms named. Fifth, the FLSA classification stated on the posting along with overtime and timekeeping expectations. Sixth, an equal opportunity statement. Seventh, the hourly rate or good-faith range, a named person to apply to, and a deadline. Add an edit test to the process and say so in the posting, because it is the only step that reliably separates candidates who can edit from candidates who can write.
Can I hire an unpaid intern instead of an assistant editor?
Not if the intern is doing the assistant editor job. The Department of Labor applies a primary beneficiary test with seven factors to decide whether an intern at a for-profit employer is actually an employee owed minimum wage and overtime, and no single factor is decisive. The two that usually decide editorial cases are whether the internship provides training comparable to an educational environment and whether the intern’s work complements rather than displaces the work of paid employees. An intern who clears the fact-checking queue, builds CMS entries, and covers the calendar because the assistant editor role is unfilled is displacing paid work, and a signed acknowledgment that the position is unpaid does not change the analysis. Courts look at the economic reality of the relationship. If the work is the job, pay for it as an employee.
How do I hire an assistant editor with no HR department?
Run a short fixed sequence and decide the classification before you post, because it changes the offer, the timekeeping, and the paperwork. Write the posting from a reusable skeleton and change only the publication-specific parts. Screen on a portfolio of edited work rather than bylines. Send every shortlisted candidate the same short paid edit test with planted problems, and ask for tracked changes plus a note explaining the calls. Check one reference who watched the candidate work to a deadline. Then move fast, because strong production editors get hired quickly. Once the offer is signed, onboarding is a checklist rather than a pile: signed offer, tax and eligibility forms, timekeeping setup, style guide acknowledgment, CMS and tool access, and the fact-checking standard in writing. FirstHR runs that sequence with e-signature, document storage, and training modules. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
