What is an Academic Editor?

Academic Editing Jobs & What Academic Editors Should Charge

Jan 28, 2010
Megan B. Wyatt

Academic Editors Must Be Detail-Oriented - dariadna

Academic editors are among the highest paid of all editing positions and typically edit collegiate works ranging from simple proofreading to developmental editing.

With more and more people attending universities and colleges, there is a higher demand than ever for academic editors. While there is no definitive definition for an academic editor, these editors usually provide services for college-level and post-collegiate essays, papers, theses and dissertations.

Because academic editors often specialize in one area of editing such as social sciences, medical sciences or English studies, they can focus on the specific requirements of papers and projects within one or two fields of study.

What Does an Academic Editor Do?

An academic editor's role can be anything from editing an entry-level college essay to brainstorming and organizing a dissertation. Sometimes academic editors simply proofread for grammatical errors or typos and other times academic editors provide substantial editing and even researching and fact-checking services.

Some academic editors specialize in one style, format, or field of study. Some academic editors work freelance and build cliental through word-of-mouth, portfolios, and advertising while other academic editors work through agencies that provide specific assignments.

How Much Money Does an Academic Editor Make?

An academic editor's pay can vary based on several factors, such as experience, location, amount of editing required, length of work, level of writing, and required field knowledge. After taking these factors into account, the normal range can become a bit skewed but is averaged between $45,000 and $61,000 per year.

Academic editors who earn money through a third party will typically make slightly more in the beginning than those starting on their own with little to no experience. Over time, however, freelancers tend to make more since they do not have to share their earnings with a third party.

How Does a Freelance Academic Editor Decide How Much to Charge?

Depending on the length of the work to be edited, the sample can range anywhere from two paragraphs to 10 pages. For the typical length thesis that does not require a tremendous amount of editing, an academic editor often charges between two to five cents per word. A good rule of thumb for academic editors is to charge more for shorter pieces and less for longer works.

An excellent way for academic editors to decide how much to charge is to offer a free editing sample and quote to the client. This will not only help an academic editor decide how he or she wants to charge based on the amount of editing needed, but it will also make the editor more credible to the client.