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Staff editor vs technical editor

The differences between staff editors 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 a staff editor and a technical editor. Additionally, a staff editor has an average salary of $110,850, which is higher than the $61,717 average annual salary of a technical editor.

The top three skills for a staff editor include art directors, SEO and HTML. The most important skills for a technical editor are powerpoint, english language, and proofreading.

Staff editor vs technical editor overview

Staff EditorTechnical Editor
Yearly salary$110,850$61,717
Hourly rate$53.29$29.67
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs79,30578,423
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a staff editor do?

A staff editor is responsible for performing research and uncovering newsworthy stories. They also maintain notes in written or electronic form. They write content and contribute to content idea generation for their publication. They keep up with local, national, and international affairs so that they can write something about the issues. They must have a bachelor's degree in journalism or mass communications.

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.

Staff editor vs technical editor salary

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

Staff EditorTechnical Editor
Average salary$110,850$61,717
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $161,000Between $47,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City-Oakland, CA
Highest paying state-Connecticut
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between staff editor and technical editor education

There are a few differences between a staff editor and a technical editor in terms of educational background:

Staff EditorTechnical Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Staff editor vs technical editor demographics

Here are the differences between staff editors' and technical editors' demographics:

Staff EditorTechnical Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 50.2% Female, 49.8%Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% 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 staff editor and technical editor duties and responsibilities

Staff editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage campaign performance through data analysis and reporting, with actionable takeaways per designate KPI.
  • Read through and rate short fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry submissions from students.
  • Leverage meticulous attention to detail in technical editing and proofreading all content from project inception to completion.
  • Analyze FrameMaker source document and provide feedback to XML architects to improve accuracy of conversion.

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

Staff editor vs technical editor skills

Common staff editor skills
  • Art Directors, 29%
  • SEO, 10%
  • HTML, 9%
  • CMS, 6%
  • Web Content, 6%
  • Music Videos, 4%
Common technical editor skills
  • PowerPoint, 16%
  • English Language, 11%
  • Proofreading, 6%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%
  • Training Materials, 5%
  • XML, 4%

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