How to Become a Technical Editor

By Joel Witherington
Jul 31, 2023
4 min read

A technical editor reviews documents written in a technical area, for example, science, health care, engineering, and technology. They work alongside a technical writer to ensure that the text is clear, comprehensive, and error-free and that the language and formatting are consistent throughout.

The duties of the technical editor vary depending on the industry, but some skills and competencies are essential for every technical editor.

Intrigued? In this blog post, we explore:

What technical writing is
The type of content technical editors work on
The skills and duties of the job
A few simple steps to help you become a technical editor

What Is a Technical Editor?

Technical editors specialize in checking the work of technical writers. Technical writing aims to convey complex (or technical) information to people who may not already be an expert in certain fields.

Material that needs editing can come in a variety of mediums, including but not limited to:

User manuals
Knowledge-based articles
White papers
Data sheets
Videos
Microcopy
Instructions

The fields in which technical editors work are just as diverse as the type of content they edit. Science, technology, business, health care, engineering, and many other areas produce technical content that requires the careful attention of a good editor.

Although a technical editor needs to possess the skills of any good editor, their duties can sometimes go above and beyond what regular proofreading and editing includes.

Technical editors may be responsible for:

Creating style guides and writing templates
Verifying information, data, or facts
Collaborating with writers and experts

They might also take a more active role by helping develop new creative content, dividing writing tasks, and assigning work to various writers. They may even play a part in the publishing process.

How to Become a Technical Editor

Although the responsibilities of the job may seem vast, becoming a technical editor doesn’t have to be so complicated if you follow some simple steps.

1. Be knowledgeable in your chosen field.

This is the most important step. Make sure you’re interested in the subject matter you’ll be editing. You’re going to be reading and writing a lot of content in your chosen field, so make sure you’ve picked one that appeals to you.

2. Make sure you have the right skills.

First and foremost, you will need superb editing skills. Ensure that you have great knowledge of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. Since technical editors often work with a lot of people, you’ll also need good communication skills.

Depending on what content you’ll be editing, you may also need further credentials, such as a degree in your chosen field, specific technical skills, and expertise in unique computer software.

3. Gain experience.

As with any occupation, if you’re having trouble getting the job you want, you may need to raise your experience level first.

Freelancing is a great way for any kind of editor to get experience, and technical editing is no different. If you can’t find freelance work, starting with an internship or volunteering might help you get your foot in the door.

Once you’ve started working, you can grow your portfolio and build a network of people in the industry. That will make it easier to find the job you want in the field you’ve chosen and trained for.

Becoming a Proofreader or Editor

Whether you’re looking to enter the exciting work of technical editing or you just want to learn more about editing in general, our Becoming a Proofreader and Becoming an Editor courses can help.

With tutor support, guaranteed work, and course content written by industry experts, we’ve got everything you need to get started.

If this prospect interests you, look into our free trial today!