Jobs · Editor

Will AI replace editors?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 57% of the working time in a typical editor job today. The other 43% still needs a person.

22 responsibilities · a typical editor job

43% of the work still needs a person.

Still needs a person: 43% of the timeAI could take on: 57%

Evidence range: 42 to 57%. It runs between what has been measured or rated for each responsibility and our figure, which also follows industry-wide research.

Median pay $77,920 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Supervise reporters and editors
  • Discuss story placement with management
  • Edit manuscripts with authors
  • Direct publishing policies and departments
  • Meet with production and design teams
  • Hire and negotiate with writers

AI can do or help with

  • Proofread copy for errors AI can do it
  • Write headlines and articles AI helps
  • Rewrite copy for readability AI can do it
  • Verify facts and figures AI helps
  • Develop story ideas AI helps
  • Lay out pages and photos AI helps

The biggest responsibilities of each kind. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces. See all 22, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace editors?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 57% of the working time in a typical editor job today. The other 43% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: proofread copy for errors, write headlines and articles, rewrite copy for readability, verify facts and figures, develop story ideas, lay out pages and photos.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: supervise reporters and editors, discuss story placement with management, edit manuscripts with authors, direct publishing policies and departments, meet with production and design teams, hire and negotiate with writers.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 22 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0). Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range is 42 to 57%. It runs between what has been measured or rated for each responsibility and our figure, which also follows industry-wide research. Scores version 0.6.5, updated October 7, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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