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Engineering technical writer vs senior writer

The differences between engineering technical writers and senior 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 writer. Additionally, a senior writer has an average salary of $80,145, 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 writer are project management, web content, and wordpress.

Engineering technical writer vs senior writer overview

Engineering Technical WriterSenior Writer
Yearly salary$64,966$80,145
Hourly rate$31.23$38.53
Growth rate6%4%
Number of jobs128,39315,995
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4642
Years of experience22

What does an engineering technical writer do?

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.

What does a senior writer do?

A senior writer is responsible for assisting junior writers in creating compositions and digital content according to business functions and client needs. A senior writer should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as well as extensive knowledge of composition structures and developing engaging pieces to attract the target audience and potential clients, driving resources for revenue and profits. They also coordinate with clients on any adjustments and instructions to support their goals and objectives.

Engineering technical writer vs senior writer salary

Engineering technical writers and senior writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Engineering Technical WriterSenior Writer
Average salary$64,966$80,145
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $89,000Between $54,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateVirginiaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaApple
Best paying industryEnergyProfessional

Differences between engineering technical writer and senior writer education

There are a few differences between an engineering technical writer and a senior writer in terms of educational background:

Engineering Technical WriterSenior Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorBusinessEnglish
Most common collegeUniversity of HoustonMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Engineering technical writer vs senior writer demographics

Here are the differences between engineering technical writers' and senior writers' demographics:

Engineering Technical WriterSenior Writer
Average age4642
Gender ratioMale, 64.0% Female, 36.0%Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%16%

Differences between engineering technical writer and senior writer duties and responsibilities

Engineering technical writer example responsibilities.

  • Develop software requirements documents for proprietary medical software device; manage documents through SDLC in fda-regulate environment.
  • Experience with, Robohelp, Framemaker, MSWord, PDF software, editing procedures, proofreading, Photoshop and more.
  • Create a telephony-base API guide.
  • Create network diagrams in Visio.
  • Input technical data into SGML/ XML format.
  • Interview engineering staff and SMEs to gain product knowledge.
  • Show more

Senior writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage agency's web site and Facebook page.
  • Volunteer to manage the company s intranet content, learning basic HTML coding.
  • Manage staff & contract writers, editors & proofreaders on large content and copywriting projects.
  • Manage publication review process, including technical and editorial review by in-house and outside reviewers.
  • Provide editorial and proofreading assistance with presentation and marketing materials, speeches and content development.
  • Skil with Snapchat and Instagram.
  • Show more

Engineering technical writer vs senior writer skills

Common engineering technical writer skills
  • API, 10%
  • Technical Documentation, 9%
  • Java, 8%
  • Technical Writers, 7%
  • HTML, 6%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 6%
Common senior writer skills
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Web Content, 8%
  • WordPress, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Content Strategy, 5%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 4%

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