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The differences between documentation engineers 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 documentation engineer, becoming a technical writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a documentation engineer has an average salary of $87,022, which is higher than the $65,329 average annual salary of a technical writer.
The top three skills for a documentation engineer include java, CAD and technical documentation. The most important skills for a technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and powerpoint.
| Documentation Engineer | Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,022 | $65,329 |
| Hourly rate | $41.84 | $31.41 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 25,545 | 75,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Documentation engineers and technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Documentation Engineer | Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $87,022 | $65,329 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $133,000 | Between $48,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a documentation engineer and a technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Documentation Engineer | Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between documentation engineers' and technical writers' demographics:
| Documentation Engineer | Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.2% Female, 30.8% | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 11% |