The disclosure provides programmable methylation "writers" and demethylation "erasers" for editing the methylation state of RNA targets, e.g., an RNA transcriptome. In particular, the disclosure provides RNA methylation editor polynucleotide contructs and vectors comprising (i) an RNA programmable RNA binding domain (RNApRNAbd); and (ii) an effector domain, wherein the effector domain is capable of adding or removing a methyl group in an RNA. The disclosed RNA methylation editor constructs are capable of achieving limited off- target modifications in RNA molecules. Further, the disclosure provides methods for making and using the programmable methylation editors to modifying the methylation state of RNA. The disclosure further provides complexes comprising a methylation writer protein and a guide RNA molecule and complexes comprising a demethylation eraser protein and a guide RNA molecule. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions and cells comprising the disclosed fusion proteins and complexes.