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The differences between acquisitions editors and 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 editor. Additionally, an acquisitions editor has an average salary of $60,342, which is higher than the $52,107 average annual salary of an editor.
The top three skills for an acquisitions editor include project management, market trends and market research. The most important skills for an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| Acquisitions Editor | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $60,342 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $29.01 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 12,281 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.
Acquisitions editors and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisitions Editor | Editor | |
| Average salary | $60,342 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $105,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ossining, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | SAGE Publishing | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between an acquisitions editor and an editor in terms of educational background:
| Acquisitions Editor | Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between acquisitions editors' and editors' demographics:
| Acquisitions Editor | Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |