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The differences between acquisitions editors and staff writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an acquisitions editor, becoming a staff writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an acquisitions editor has an average salary of $60,342, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for an acquisitions editor include project management, market trends and market research. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Acquisitions Editor | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,342 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $29.01 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 12,281 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
Acquisitions editors and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisitions Editor | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $60,342 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $105,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ossining, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | SAGE Publishing | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an acquisitions editor and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Acquisitions Editor | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between acquisitions editors' and staff writers' demographics:
| Acquisitions Editor | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |