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The differences between contributing writers and feature writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a contributing writer and a feature writer. Additionally, a contributing writer has an average salary of $51,372, which is higher than the $35,590 average annual salary of a feature writer.
The top three skills for a contributing writer include lifestyle, web content and SEO. The most important skills for a feature writer are web content, feature stories, and lifestyle.
| Contributing Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,372 | $35,590 |
| Hourly rate | $24.70 | $17.11 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 10,292 | 10,279 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A contributing writer is responsible for contributing content to a publication or a specific client, typically on a freelance basis. Contributing writers must have a strong command of their language and extensive understanding of the topics assigned to them. They should be keen on details, perfecting grammar usage with proper writing elements. A contributing writer performs in-depth research to support content, ensuring the accuracy of information to release a high-quality article and serve a good read for the target audience. Contributing writers must have excellent time-management and communication skills, especially on meeting deadlines and doing revisions.
A feature writer is someone who writes real-time news, telling it with a mix of narrative and proper news writing. They can choose from a variety of topics and styles. They have a wide vocabulary to give a big impact. They also use idiomatic expressions and figures of speech to compel readers into reading and digging for more information based on what they wrote. However, despite making these stories and features colorful, that doesn't permit any feature writer to write any false narrative and must make sure that their articles are still factual and educational.
Contributing writers and feature writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contributing Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Average salary | $51,372 | $35,590 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $24,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a contributing writer and a feature writer in terms of educational background:
| Contributing Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between contributing writers' and feature writers' demographics:
| Contributing Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |