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The differences between engineering technical writers and senior 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 an engineering technical writer and a senior technical writer. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, which is higher than the $64,966 average annual salary of an engineering technical writer.
The top three skills for an engineering technical writer include API, technical documentation and java. The most important skills for a senior technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and API.
| Engineering Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,966 | $70,820 |
| Hourly rate | $31.23 | $34.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 128,393 | 80,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An engineering technical writer specializes in producing engineering reports and documentation. They primarily communicate and coordinate with engineering teams to gather and analyze different forms of data, using the findings as a basis for writing materials. They may also liaise with clients, identifying the documents that they need, and submitting them to them while adhering to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, there are instances when an engineering technical writer must develop presentations and graphs, presenting reports to clients or company officials.
A senior technical writer's role is to oversee the progress within a team or department, ensuring quality and timeliness. It is their responsibility to delegate tasks, set deadlines, carry out corrective measures on any issues, and implement the company's regulations and policies. There are also instances when they participate in producing written content, even editing and reviewing materials of the staff. As someone with more experience, a senior technical writer must encourage and lead fellow writers, shaping them into valuable assets.
Engineering technical writers and senior technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $64,966 | $70,820 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $89,000 | Between $54,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering technical writer and a senior technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between engineering technical writers' and senior technical writers' demographics:
| Engineering Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0% | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 8.6% White, 71.9% 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, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |