Print or Digital Content Editor

A Print or Digital Content Editor oversees the creation, refinement and publication of written or visual content for print media, websites, digital platforms or broadcast outlets in Australia. They assess submissions, commission writers and designers, copyedit material for clarity and accuracy, manage editorial calendars, and ensure compliance with Australian media standards and defamation law. The role spans news, magazines, online publications, corporate communications and specialist media.

Commission articles, features and photography from freelance writers and photographers to meet publication deadlines and editorial briefs. Copyedit submissions for grammar, style consistency, factual accuracy and compliance with Australian Press Council standards and defamation law. Liaise with legal advisers to assess content risk and ensure material does not breach privacy, contempt or defamation legislation. Manage editorial calendars and publishing schedules using content management systems such as WordPress, Drupal or in-house editorial software. Assign story ideas and coordinate coverage with journalists, photographers and videographers across newsrooms or digital teams. Fact-check claims, verify sources and ensure citations meet publication standards before content is approved for publication. Write, edit and optimise headlines, meta descriptions and social media copy for search engine visibility and audience engagement. Review page proofs, digital layouts and multimedia elements with designers and technical teams before publication.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The media industry is shrinking. Print advertising revenue has collapsed, digital ad rates are squeezed, and newsrooms are cutting staff. You'll face constant deadline pressure, on-call stress during breaking news, and the reality that many publications can't afford experienced editors anymore. Pay often caps out below other professions requiring similar qualifications.

Remote work is increasingly common for digital content roles, but print and newsroom positions still require on-site presence. Regional and community newspapers exist but offer fewer opportunities and lower pay.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2124, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Adapt to type of mediacore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Correspondence Draftingcore
• Digital Literacycore
• Electronic Document Managementcore
• Feedback Collection and Actioningcore
• Follow newspaper house stylecore
• Interview peoplecore
• Participate in editorial meetingscore
• Perform background research on writing subjectcore
• Process Documentationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Read manuscriptscore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Review unpublished articlescore
• Search enginescore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Workflow Prioritisationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Communicate by telephone
• Consult information sources
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Develop professional network
• Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive)
• Interview techniques
• Media and information literacy
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Press law
• Process Improvement Identification
• Proofread text
• Record Management
• Rewrite manuscripts
• Scientific research methodology
• Search databases
• Use word processing software
• Verbal Communication
• Workload Self-Management
• Writing techniques

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Print or Digital Content Editor workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026