Annual Salary
£20,000 to £40,000
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Performing arts or Games or go back to all job sectors
Commissioning editors commission or buy authors, book titles or ideas for publication.
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; away from home
There will be
4% more Commissioning editor jobs in 2026.
In your local area
Your day-to-day duties could include:
You could work in an office.
You can get into this job through:
The degree subject you choose is not usually important but particularly relevant subjects might include:
However, if you want to work for a specialist publication, for example, a technical, medical or scientific journal, you're likely to need a related degree or a high level of specialist subject knowledge.
You could take a postgraduate qualification in publishing or digital publishing, but this isn't essential.
You'll usually need:
You'll usually start out as an editorial assistant and work your way up. There's a lot of competition for jobs so you may find it useful to have a degree.
You'll need to get some experience before applying for your first job in publishing. To build up your experience you can:
This is also a good way to develop contacts, as many jobs are not advertised.
You may be able to apply directly for a job as a commissioning editor in academic and professional publishing, if you have a high level of specialist subject knowledge.
You could take a proofreading or editing course, like the ones offered by the Publishing Training Centre or the Society for Editors and Proofreaders.
You may find it useful to join organisations like the The Publishers Association and Professional Publishers Association for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.
You can find out more about becoming a commissioning editor from:The Publishers Association; Society for Editors and Proofreaders
You can also get information on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
With experience, you could move on to be a senior commissioning editor, editorial manager, director, or work as a freelance consultant.
You'll need: