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Editorial internship vs technical editor

The differences between editorial interns 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 internship and a technical editor. Additionally, a technical editor has an average salary of $61,717, which is higher than the $32,356 average annual salary of an editorial internship.

The top three skills for an editorial internship include fact-check, editorial intern and web content. The most important skills for a technical editor are powerpoint, english language, and proofreading.

Editorial internship vs technical editor overview

Editorial InternshipTechnical Editor
Yearly salary$32,356$61,717
Hourly rate$15.56$29.67
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs51,66778,423
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 86%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does an editorial internship do?

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial team in publishing digital and media content, writing articles, and managing readers' reviews. Editorial interns must have excellent knowledge of the industry they work for, suggesting the latest trends and featured topics, taking notes of the tenured employees' advice and observations, and actively joining brainstorming sessions. An editorial intern must be detail-oriented and take constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn. It is also crucial to have outstanding communication and proofreading skills and keep all the materials confidential until release.

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 internship vs technical editor salary

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

Editorial InternshipTechnical Editor
Average salary$32,356$61,717
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $39,000Between $47,000 And $80,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCOakland, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaConnecticut
Best paying companyOxford University PressApple
Best paying industryMediaTechnology

Differences between editorial internship and technical editor education

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

Editorial InternshipTechnical Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 86%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Editorial internship vs technical editor demographics

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

Editorial InternshipTechnical Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 26.4% Female, 73.6%Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 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 internship and technical editor duties and responsibilities

Editorial internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage content uploads onto corporate website for continuous relevancy and improve SEO rankings.
  • Contribute through blogging, copy editing, participating in weekly editorial meetings, and managing social channels
  • Upload all content into the CMS and assume all editor responsibilities
  • Upload, edit and maintain articles on the websites' CMS.
  • Create 15-30 seconds teasers to post to social media, specifically Instagram and Facebook.
  • Fix technical problems with uploading files to Lexis-Nexis through basic HTML coding and working with technicians over the phone.
  • 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 internship vs technical editor skills

Common editorial internship skills
  • Fact-Check, 13%
  • Editorial Intern, 8%
  • Web Content, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Instagram, 5%
  • Press Releases, 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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