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The differences between engineering technical writers and writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an engineering technical writer, becoming a writer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, 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 writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.
| Engineering Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,966 | $66,143 |
| Hourly rate | $31.23 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 128,393 | 13,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.
Engineering technical writers and writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Average salary | $64,966 | $66,143 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $89,000 | Between $40,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between an engineering technical writer and a writer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between engineering technical writers' and writers' demographics:
| Engineering Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |