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The differences between copy 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 a copy 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 $62,599 average annual salary of a copy editor.
The top three skills for a copy editor include proofreading, house style and digital publishing. The most important skills for a technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and powerpoint.
| Copy Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,599 | $65,329 |
| Hourly rate | $30.10 | $31.41 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 4,866 | 75,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The primary job of copy editors is to check for misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and consistency in typography, words, and style. They also act as fact-checkers, proofreaders, and project managers, overseeing the workflow and communicating with other departments. A copy editor's other duties and responsibilities include checking content for readability and compliance with editorial policies, rewriting text to improve readability and clarity, and arranging page layouts of articles, photos, and advertisements. Formal training is not required for this role, but copy editors generally have a firm grasp and love for the English language's proper usage.
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.
Copy editors and technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Copy Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $62,599 | $65,329 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $98,000 | Between $48,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a copy editor and a technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Copy Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between copy editors' and technical writers' demographics:
| Copy Editor | Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |