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Editorial assistant

Also called editorial aide, editorial intern, editorial arts assistant

Editorial assistants support the editorial staff at all stages of the publication process of newspapers, websites, online newsletters, books and journals. They collect, verify and process information, acquire permits and deal with rights. Editorial assistants act as point of contact for the editorial staff, schedule appointments and interviews. They proofread and give recommendations on the content.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects25 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Business and administration associate professionalsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,600 (Bulgaria) to €6,300 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Business and administration associate professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually post-secondary or a short degree5 in 10 have a degree.Business and administration associate professionalsWill AI change it?SignificantlyLevel 5 of 6. AI could take on part of most tasks, but none fully.Administrative and executive secretaries · ILO

What you'd do

Administrative and executive secretaries · ILO
  • Drafting administrative correspondence and minutes
  • Obtaining, proposing and monitoring deadlines and follow-up dates
  • Screening requests for meetings, and scheduling and organizing meetings and travel arrangements
  • Assisting in the preparation of budgets, monitoring of expenditures, drafting of contracts and purchasing or acquisition orders
  • Liaising with other staff about a range of matters relating to the organization‚Äôs operations
  • Writing and answering business or technical letters and other similar correspondence
  • Preparing verbatim reports of proceedings in legislative assemblies, courts of law or other places using shorthand or specialized office equipment
  • Supervising the work of clerical support workers
Use spreadsheets softwareUse word processing softwareManage information sourcesFollow newspaper house styleStructure information+ 3 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • Sitting most of the day
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Editors"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as business and administration associate professionals in the EU
13.29m14.1m14.28m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
55,000 new jobs 3,460,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Business and administration associate professionals25
All jobs29
Right now
3 of 27 countries report a shortage of administrative and executive secretaries, 12 a surplus.
Administrative and executive secretaries · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,600 a month (Bulgaria) to €6,300 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among technicians and associate professionals in the EU, women earn 16% less per hour than men. Technicians and associate professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually post-secondary or a short degree

Post-secondary training or a short degree in law is the usual route.

Highest qualification of business and administration associate professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 51%Vocational 31%General secondary 13%Basic schooling 6%
Fields that teach it
Law · Journalism and reporting · Computer use
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Business and law graduates in a matching job
66% in the EU

1,314 institutions in the EU offer business and law bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Significantly

AI could take on part of most tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.54 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Screening requests for meetings, and scheduling and organizing meetings and travel arrangements0.72
Preparing verbatim reports of proceedings in legislative assemblies, courts of law or other places using shorthand or specialized office equipment0.65
Writing and answering business or technical letters and other similar correspondence0.62
Obtaining, proposing and monitoring deadlines and follow-up dates0.59
Drafting administrative correspondence and minutes0.58
Assisting in the preparation of budgets, monitoring of expenditures, drafting of contracts and purchasing or acquisition orders0.46
Supervising the work of clerical support workers0.35
Liaising with other staff about a range of matters relating to the organization’s operations0.32

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for administrative and executive secretaries. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).