Publishers produce materials that deal with an infinite variety of subjects. This variety allows a wealth of talents to participate in the editorial process. As part of the publishing team, editors may also work with writers, designers, and business people. This environment can be stimulating and a good way to learn about other aspects of publishing. The editor's work is also relatively free of supervision, after training.
Publishers rely on their editors' judgements.
But, like any other profession, editing has its downside. Editors are painfully aware of deadlines. Another source of stress, especially for manuscript editors, is the need for absolute accuracy. Even minor typographical, grammatical, or factual errors seem, in print, to show up in neon. Instructions that conflict with the examples given, columns of figures that yield incorrect totals, and inaccurate page references often seem invisible until the finished product arrives.