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The differences between acquisitions editors and assistant editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an acquisitions editor and an assistant editor. Additionally, an acquisitions editor has an average salary of $60,342, which is higher than the $52,284 average annual salary of an assistant editor.
The top three skills for an acquisitions editor include project management, market trends and market research. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.
| Acquisitions Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $60,342 | $52,284 |
| Hourly rate | $29.01 | $25.14 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 12,281 | 8,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
As the name entails, acquisitions editors acquire manuscripts for use by the publishing house. Your day-to-day duties typically include analyzing the current market, trends, and customer interests, deciding which manuscripts to move forward with, and developing profitable content for publishers. In addition, you will be responsible for reviewing unsolicited manuscripts from authors, and building and maintaining strong relationships with authors and their agents. You will also be responsible for preparing proposals for the board.
An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.
Acquisitions editors and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisitions Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average salary | $60,342 | $52,284 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $105,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ossining, NY | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | SAGE Publishing | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Media |
There are a few differences between an acquisitions editor and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:
| Acquisitions Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between acquisitions editors' and assistant editors' demographics:
| Acquisitions Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |