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Document coordinator vs technical writer

The differences between document coordinators and technical writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a document coordinator, becoming a technical writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $42,975 average annual salary of a document coordinator.

The top three skills for a document coordinator include data entry, GMP and FDA. The most important skills for a technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and powerpoint.

Document coordinator vs technical writer overview

Document CoordinatorTechnical Writer
Yearly salary$42,975$65,329
Hourly rate$20.66$31.41
Growth rate-8%6%
Number of jobs18,26375,090
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4446
Years of experience42

What does a document coordinator do?

A document coordinator is responsible for handling the sorting and distribution of files and documents as part of the business's services and operations. Document coordinators label and categorize the files according to their purposes and submit them to the appropriate personnel or department. They also ensure the safety and security of the documents' storage to prevent leakage of confidential information that might put the company's privacy in jeopardy. A document coordinator keeps a record of every document within the database, properly disposing of outdated ones, and retrieve documents as requested.

What does a technical writer do?

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.

Document coordinator vs technical writer salary

Document coordinators and technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Document CoordinatorTechnical Writer
Average salary$42,975$65,329
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $70,000Between $48,000 And $87,000
Highest paying CityRocklin, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaCalifornia
Best paying companyGradyHealthMeta
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalFinance

Differences between document coordinator and technical writer education

There are a few differences between a document coordinator and a technical writer in terms of educational background:

Document CoordinatorTechnical Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessEnglish
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Houston

Document coordinator vs technical writer demographics

Here are the differences between document coordinators' and technical writers' demographics:

Document CoordinatorTechnical Writer
Average age4446
Gender ratioMale, 25.3% Female, 74.7%Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between document coordinator and technical writer duties and responsibilities

Document coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage high volume RFI traffic.
  • Train new hires and current employees on update Medicare (CMS) guidelines and manage care contracts.
  • Review and manage all GMP relate documentation in a bulk pharmaceutical production plant in accordance with FDA guidelines.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of new documentation processes, coordinate workflow and manage credit derivatives documentation backlog.
  • Ensure engineering documentation meets the criteria for ISO9001, FDA GMP, and EN46001 requirements.
  • Create technical documentation for certification to ISO 9000requirements.
  • Show more

Technical writer example responsibilities.

  • Analyze the requirements of the RFP to understand the customer s solution needs and to identify potential discriminators for competitive advantage.
  • Manage consulting projects including UNIX installation and maintenance on various engineering workstation platforms.
  • Create and manage print and online documentation for Linux and web-base security software.
  • Manage security program for DoD classify magnetic media, classify documents and physical security systems.
  • Develop software requirements documents for proprietary medical software device; manage documents through SDLC in fda-regulate environment.
  • Help company achieve ISO registration by determining best practices, writing ISO compliant manufacturing instructions and teaching best manufacturing processes.
  • Show more

Document coordinator vs technical writer skills

Common document coordinator skills
  • Data Entry, 13%
  • GMP, 7%
  • FDA, 7%
  • Word Processing, 6%
  • Access Database, 5%
  • ISO, 4%
Common technical writer skills
  • Technical Documentation, 9%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Visio, 4%
  • SharePoint, 4%
  • Test Procedures, 4%

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