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The differences between columnists and writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a columnist, becoming a writer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, which is higher than the $50,696 average annual salary of a columnist.
The top three skills for a columnist include student newspaper, opinion pieces and twitter. The most important skills for a writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.
| Columnist | Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,696 | $66,143 |
| Hourly rate | $24.37 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,783 | 13,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Columnists and writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Columnist | Writer | |
| Average salary | $50,696 | $66,143 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $40,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a columnist and a writer in terms of educational background:
| Columnist | Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between columnists' and writers' demographics:
| Columnist | Writer | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 16% |