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The differences between contributing writers and technical 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 technical writer. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $51,372 average annual salary of a contributing writer.
The top three skills for a contributing writer include lifestyle, web content and SEO. The most important skills for a technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and powerpoint.
| Contributing Writer | Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,372 | $65,329 |
| Hourly rate | $24.70 | $31.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 10,292 | 75,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
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.
Contributing writers and technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contributing Writer | Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $51,372 | $65,329 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $48,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a contributing writer and a technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Contributing Writer | Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between contributing writers' and technical writers' demographics:
| Contributing Writer | Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |