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The differences between acquisitions editors and technical 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 technical writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $60,342 average annual salary of an acquisitions editor.
The top three skills for an acquisitions editor include project management, market trends and market research. The most important skills for a technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and powerpoint.
| Acquisitions Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,342 | $65,329 |
| Hourly rate | $29.01 | $31.41 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 12,281 | 75,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
Technical Writers specialize in producing easy-to-understand instructional or informational written materials, such as media and journal articles, assessments and guidelines, and legal forms of documentation. For Technical Writers to develop well-versed content, one must conduct thorough research on the topic or idea to ensure factual legitimacy and communicate with those whose expertise aligns with the subject. Aside from producing, Technical Writers can also improve or convert complex written materials such as operating manuals or documents into one that can be easily understood by the general public.
Acquisitions editors and technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisitions Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $60,342 | $65,329 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $105,000 | Between $48,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ossining, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | SAGE Publishing | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between an acquisitions editor and a technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Acquisitions Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between acquisitions editors' and technical writers' demographics:
| Acquisitions Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |