New York City salary expectations

Does anyone know a good Web site or somewhere to find a reasonable expectation for copy editing positions in New York City without much experience, more like entry-level jobs.

I've been looking at a few jobs but I am curious how low to expect the salary to be because of living expenses in New York. I've also been looking at online editing jobs for Web sites/newspapers and wondering if the salary would be about the same, too.

Anyone with any knowledge of this subject care to elaborate or help out? Thanks!

I've looked at salary surveys online on salary Web sites but they seem to be on the high side and might be more PR copy editing/writing because they seem unreasonably high.

 

You will find vast differences even between the Times and the News and the News and the Post. Freelance magazine copy editors on decent-size mags get $20-$30 per hour. There is no standard NYC pay. In some cases copy editors can earn more in the burbs than in the city, except at the NYT.

 

What he said. Frank is right. If you're not at the Times [or the National ], it's a long commute.

 

Hmm...thanks for the quick replies. That helps.

What about an online job with the NY Times? My initial guess is one of their digital producer positions would pay less than a similar copy editing position because of the experience factor alone (experienced copy editor at Times versus less likely to have experience in other position (2-to-3 years).

Is 30 to 35 a reasonable expectation for an online job at the Times?

 

The NYT online people are represented by the Newspaper Guild but under a different contract than traditional newsroom employees. Last I heard, the NYT management wanted one contract for both; I do not know if this has been resolved. Traditional newsroom employees hit top minimum with one year of professional experience; I do not know if this is the same for online people, nor do I know what the salary disparity would be. But $35K would seem incredibly low; I do not see how that would be possible.

 

Online is still listed as a separate bargaining unit by the New York Newspaper Guild. If no one can give you a better answer, I'd suggest contacting the Guild:

http://www.nyguild.org/

 

I think the Post is paying new copy editors in the $45-$50,000 range. You can probably get that much at the free tabs as well. The Daily News probably pays roughly $10,000 more than that and the Times another $15,000 on top of that.

I don't know what Newsday pays. Considering cost of living/commuting costs, you would probably earn more at the Star-Ledger and maybe at the Record than at the NY papers; you aren't going to get very far in the city on $45,000.

 

Thanks again for all the replies. I wasn't sure what to expect for some of these jobs because of the cost of living in NYC. I know outside the city in other places around the U.S. they'd pay considerably less so I was trying to get a better job. Your replies have definitely helped.