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The differences between senior 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 senior technical writer, becoming an editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, which is higher than the $52,107 average annual salary of an editor.
The top three skills for a senior technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and API. The most important skills for an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| Senior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $70,820 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 80,897 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A senior technical writer's role is to oversee the progress within a team or department, ensuring quality and timeliness. It is their responsibility to delegate tasks, set deadlines, carry out corrective measures on any issues, and implement the company's regulations and policies. There are also instances when they participate in producing written content, even editing and reviewing materials of the staff. As someone with more experience, a senior technical writer must encourage and lead fellow writers, shaping them into valuable assets.
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.
Senior technical writers and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average salary | $70,820 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $92,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior technical writer and an editor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior technical writers' and editors' demographics:
| Senior Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% 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% |