Web content editor
Content designer, web content designer, digital editor, online content producer
Web content editors research, write and manage an organisation’s online content, including text, images, video and other media.
Salary Range: £22,000 to £37,250
How to become a web content editor
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You may have an advantage if you do a degree in:
- journalism
- English
- digital media
- marketing
Other degree subjects will be acceptable to employers as long as you’ve got an excellent standard of written English.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More information
- equivalent entry requirements
- student finance for fees and living costs
- university courses and entry requirements
College
You could take a college course to get some of the skills you’ll need when looking for a job. Courses include:
- A level English
- Level 3 Diploma in Creative and Digital Media
- Level 3 Diploma in Digital Marketing
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
More information
Apprenticeship
You could do an advanced apprenticeship in creative and digital media or as a junior content producer.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More information
Work
You may be able to train on the job in a digital editorial assistant role. You’ll find it easier to get a job if you’ve got examples of your work, like online articles and blog or forum contributions.
Some employers may expect you to have experience of the subject or insight about the audiences the website is aimed at.
You’ll also usually need to show you’ve experience of:
- writing to a style guide, including using plain English
- identifying user needs
- using project management methods like agile
- working on marketing campaigns like email and online advertising
- using guidelines on copyright, privacy and web accessibility
- basic HTML
- web content management systems (CMS)
- search engine optimisation (SEO) and web measurement tools like Google Analytics
More information
Further information
You can get more details about working in web content from Tech Future Careers and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders.
You can find out more about creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- knowledge of English language
- knowledge of media production and communication
- the ability to read English
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties might include:
- working with the client, using test sites to see which ideas best suit their needs
- building the framework or ‘architecture’ of the site
- making sure the new site can be smoothly integrated into the client’s existing network
- working on the site’s appearance
- dealing with user access and security
- testing the site under construction to find and fix any problems
Working environment
You could work from home, at a client’s business or in an office.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into editorial team management or general information management roles.
You could also work on a freelance basis, and set up your own business.
With further training, you may have the option to move into related areas, like website development, design or training.