Editors Salary
In Jefferson City, MO, editors earn $57,570 at the median, or about $27.68 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.97), which stretches that salary to about $65,443 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $910/month, or 24.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $58K get you in Jefferson City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jefferson City’s Regional Price Parity (87.97). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About editors
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What this looks like in Jefferson City
Pay for editors in Jefferson City runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $78K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $910/month, 23.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Jefferson City can be a reasonable trade-off for editorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for editors in metros near Jefferson City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $65K | $70K |
| St. Louis | $70K | $74K |
| Columbia | $54K | $61K |
| Springfield | $52K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jefferson City, MO
Entry-level editors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Editors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Editors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +30% | 16,800 |
| California | $98K | +26% | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +10% | 1,050 |
| District of Columbia | $84K | +8% | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +7% | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +5% | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $81K | +3% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +0% | 340 |
| Colorado | $78K | -0% | 1,830 |
| Washington | $78K | -0% | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $77K | -2% | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76K | -2% | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $76K | -3% | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75K | -4% | 170 |
| Florida | $74K | -5% | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -5% | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $73K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $72K | -7% | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $72K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $67K | -14% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | -15% | 250 |
| Utah | $65K | -17% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -18% | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -18% | 230 |
| Alaska | $64K | -18% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -19% | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63K | -19% | 530 |
| Michigan | $63K | -19% | 1,690 |
| Arizona | $63K | -19% | 820 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -20% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -20% | 500 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 500 |
| Montana | $62K | -21% | 200 |
| Missouri | $62K | -21% | 880 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -22% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -24% | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -24% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -24% | 330 |
| Iowa | $57K | -27% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -27% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -27% | 260 |
| Indiana | $56K | -28% | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55K | -29% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -30% | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -35% | 500 |
| Maine | $50K | -36% | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -36% | 260 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -40% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -41% | 360 |
| Texas | $46K | -41% | 6,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track editors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Jefferson City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jefferson City?
Yes — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 23.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $910/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for editors in Jefferson City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new editors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,098/month. At HUD’s $910/month FMR, rent would take 43% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is editor a high-paying job in Jefferson City?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $58K here vs. $78K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jefferson City compare to the national average for editors?
Jefferson City pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do editors make in Jefferson City, MO?
The median is $57,570 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,960, and experienced editors can clear $90,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Jefferson City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,862/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $910/month, which eats 23.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a editors salary go in Jefferson City?
Jefferson City has a Regional Price Parity of 87.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median editors salary is worth about $65,443 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do editors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.