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The differences between junior technical writers and editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a junior technical writer, becoming an editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a junior technical writer has an average salary of $71,199, which is higher than the $52,107 average annual salary of an editor.
The top three skills for a junior technical writer include sharepoint, subject matter experts and technical specifications. The most important skills for an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| Junior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $71,199 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $34.23 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 90,260 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A junior technical writer is responsible for writing high-quality and comprehensive content for the target audience according to business requirements and guide specifications. Junior technical writers must be knowledgeable of the organization's functions to understand the services and create clear documentation and user interface of products and applications. They work closely with senior technical writers to shadow their best practices and learn techniques that would make the content more informative and engaging at the same time.
An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.
Junior technical writers and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average salary | $71,199 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $92,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior technical writer and an editor in terms of educational background:
| Junior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between junior technical writers' and editors' demographics:
| Junior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |