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The differences between 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 technical writer, becoming an editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $52,107 average annual salary of an editor.
The top three skills for a technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Technical Writers specialize in producing easy-to-understand instructional or informational written materials, such as media and journal articles, assessments and guidelines, and legal forms of documentation. For Technical Writers to develop well-versed content, one must conduct thorough research on the topic or idea to ensure factual legitimacy and communicate with those whose expertise aligns with the subject. Aside from producing, Technical Writers can also improve or convert complex written materials such as operating manuals or documents into one that can be easily understood by the general public.
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.
Technical writers and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and an editor in terms of educational background:
| 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 technical writers' and editors' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | 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, 71.6% 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% |