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The differences between editorial directors and publishers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an editorial director and a publisher. Additionally, an editorial director has an average salary of $99,934, which is higher than the $71,539 average annual salary of a publisher.
The top three skills for an editorial director include editorial content, web content and editorial strategy. The most important skills for a publisher are press releases, customer satisfaction, and strategic thinking.
| Editorial Director | Publisher | |
| Yearly salary | $99,934 | $71,539 |
| Hourly rate | $48.05 | $34.39 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 11,143 | 10,303 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Editorial Director will plan, coordinate, and edit all written content for a publication or a website. As the Editorial Director, they are responsible for planning the company's vision for the publication, including its short- and long-term goals. They are also responsible for supervising other editors and developing the guidelines on the types of manuscripts they should seek. Other duties that Editorial Directors perform include planning the publication's contents, allocating work to editors-in-chief and editorial managers, and coordinating other departments' work as needed.
A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication. They distribute promotional catalogs to libraries and booksellers. They set the commercial and editorial direction for businesses publishing newspapers, digital content, magazines, and books. It is their duty to make decisions on the markets that their firms will serve as well as the type of content that they will give to their audience.
Editorial directors and publishers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Editorial Director | Publisher | |
| Average salary | $99,934 | $71,539 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $144,000 | Between $42,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | Stamford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an editorial director and a publisher in terms of educational background:
| Editorial Director | Publisher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between editorial directors' and publishers' demographics:
| Editorial Director | Publisher | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 76.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |