Manuscript editor vs production editor

The differences between manuscript editors and production editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manuscript editor and a production editor. Additionally, a manuscript editor has an average salary of $62,481, which is higher than the $53,275 average annual salary of a production editor.

The top three skills for a manuscript editor include public health, proofreading and XML. The most important skills for a production editor are proofreading, editorial production, and production process.

Manuscript editor vs production editor overview

	Manuscript Editor	Production Editor
Yearly salary	$62,481	$53,275
Hourly rate	$30.04	$25.61
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	4,467	62,877
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Manuscript editor vs production editor salary

Manuscript editors and production editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manuscript Editor	Production Editor
Average salary	$62,481	$53,275
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $107,000	Between $41,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Best paying industry	-	Media

Differences between manuscript editor and production editor education

There are a few differences between a manuscript editor and a production editor in terms of educational background:

	Manuscript Editor	Production Editor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	English	English
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Manuscript editor vs production editor demographics

Here are the differences between manuscript editors' and production editors' demographics:

	Manuscript Editor	Production Editor
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 76.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between manuscript editor and production editor duties and responsibilities

Manuscript editor example responsibilities.

Manage editorial team to create secondary-education textbooks.
Typeset editorial content and manage paste-up board production.
Revise fiction manuscript through content organization, proofreading, and line editing
Provide editing services for both fiction and non-fiction manuscripts.
Proofread galleys as final quality check, adding author responses to queries before typesetting and production.
Provide manuscript support services, including editing, proofreading, and formatting, for approximately 100 full-time faculty members.

Production editor example responsibilities.

Manage integration and implementation of site search and train staff on strategic SEO and web best practices.
Manage research and identification of all clips and pictures used in the documentary for the purpose of credit and compensation.
Typeset editorial content and manage paste-up board production.
Boost usability by managing content migration to iApps, leading maintenance & data/functionality QA.
Assume full editorial responsibility when editor are unavailable, including managing social media accounts and assigning content to freelancers and photographers.
Update online versions of books using UNIX, HTML, and XML technologies.

Manuscript editor vs production editor skills

Common manuscript editor skills

Public Health, 18%
Proofreading, 17%
XML, 12%
Journal Articles, 9%
Peer Review, 8%
Editorial Changes, 8%

Common production editor skills

Proofreading, 15%
Editorial Production, 9%
Production Process, 9%
Production Schedules, 5%
Fiction, 4%
Adobe Indesign, 4%

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Manuscript Editor
Manuscript Editor vs Production Editor

Updated January 8, 2025

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