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Editorial director vs technical editor

The differences between editorial directors and technical 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 editorial director and a technical editor. Additionally, an editorial director has an average salary of $99,934, which is higher than the $61,717 average annual salary of a technical editor.

The top three skills for an editorial director include editorial content, web content and editorial strategy. The most important skills for a technical editor are powerpoint, english language, and proofreading.

Editorial director vs technical editor overview

Editorial DirectorTechnical Editor
Yearly salary$99,934$61,717
Hourly rate$48.05$29.67
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs11,14378,423
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does an editorial director do?

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.

What does a technical editor do?

A technical editor is someone who proofreads, revises, and edits technical documents. He/She or she checks for grammar, punctuation, and style to ensure that the technical content meets company standards. Some of the qualifications to become a technical editor include knowledge of technical concepts, prior experience in print or online publishing, a keen eye for details, and strong verbal and written communication skills. Someone having a bachelor's degree in English or journalism could qualify for the position.

Editorial director vs technical editor salary

Editorial directors and technical editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Editorial DirectorTechnical Editor
Average salary$99,934$61,717
Salary rangeBetween $68,000 And $144,000Between $47,000 And $80,000
Highest paying CityNew Haven, CTOakland, CA
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncApple
Best paying industryProfessionalTechnology

Differences between editorial director and technical editor education

There are a few differences between an editorial director and a technical editor in terms of educational background:

Editorial DirectorTechnical Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Editorial director vs technical editor demographics

Here are the differences between editorial directors' and technical editors' demographics:

Editorial DirectorTechnical Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 48.3% Female, 51.7%Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between editorial director and technical editor duties and responsibilities

Editorial director example responsibilities.

  • Lead triage of SEO issues.
  • Manage messaging priorities, and press comments for YouTube, Google, and Guggenheim.
  • Manage the reporting, video production, marketing, brand development and SEO of the brand s website and YouTube channel.
  • Manage the implementation of large-scale editorial systems at commercial publishing, legal publishing, and in-plant publishing organizations.
  • Manage research and editorial staff for production of print and on-line database-driven publications in the commercial real estate industry.
  • Prepare site for forthcoming CMS upgrade and site redesign.
  • Show more

Technical editor example responsibilities.

  • Identify and initiate wholesale computer upgrade to accommodate new CMS while allocating and managing staff resources devote to developing the software.
  • Train course developers in advance features of FrameMaker and PowerPoint.
  • Remove PDF security from each document.
  • Update PDF variables for online help.
  • Research science, military, and historical-relate topics for DOD.
  • Create or obtain all necessary screen shots using SnagIt and Photoshop.
  • Show more

Editorial director vs technical editor skills

Common editorial director skills
  • Editorial Content, 9%
  • Web Content, 8%
  • Editorial Strategy, 6%
  • Content Strategy, 6%
  • Content Development, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
Common technical editor skills
  • PowerPoint, 16%
  • English Language, 11%
  • Proofreading, 6%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%
  • Training Materials, 5%
  • XML, 4%

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