Technical editors proofread, revise, rewrite and edit technical content. This includes research reports, scientific and technical publications, clinical research protocols, learning materials and user manuals, and web content, among others. They work on various subjects that are not limited to car engines, computers, or breakthroughs in medicine. They review the work of technical writers. Besides that, they provide suggestions to improve the article and propose possible titles. Also, they ensure the technical publications are best suited for the targeted audiences.
To become a technical editor, you need at least a bachelor's degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related discipline. You may be required to undergo specialized training to acquire knowledge of the field you'd be working in. You must possess writing, editing, and creativity skills. You must be familiar with relevant ethics. Technical editors earn an average salary of $63,425 annually. This varies from $40,000 and $100,000.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Technical Editor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.95 an hour? That's $62,303 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -3% and produce -3,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Technical Editors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Good judgment, Interpersonal skills and Detail oriented.
If you're interested in becoming a Technical Editor, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 76.3% of Technical Editors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.3% of Technical Editors have master's degrees. Even though most Technical Editors have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Technical Editor. When we researched the most common majors for a Technical Editor, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Master's Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Technical Editor resumes include Associate Degree degrees or Doctoral Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Technical Editor. In fact, many Technical Editor jobs require experience in a role such as Technical Writer. Meanwhile, many Technical Editors also have previous career experience in roles such as Editor or Technical Writer And Editor.