Post job

Ghost writer vs research writer

The differences between ghost writers and research writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a ghost writer and a research writer. Additionally, a ghost writer has an average salary of $62,531, which is higher than the $50,741 average annual salary of a research writer.

The top three skills for a ghost writer include blog posts, web content and SEO. The most important skills for a research writer are research topics, press releases, and editorials.

Ghost writer vs research writer overview

Ghost WriterResearch Writer
Yearly salary$62,531$50,741
Hourly rate$30.06$24.39
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs10,19260,595
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Ghost writer vs research writer salary

Ghost writers and research writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Ghost WriterResearch Writer
Average salary$62,531$50,741
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $98,000Between $32,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City-Brookline, MA
Highest paying state-Virginia
Best paying company-St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between ghost writer and research writer education

There are a few differences between a ghost writer and a research writer in terms of educational background:

Ghost WriterResearch Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Ghost writer vs research writer demographics

Here are the differences between ghost writers' and research writers' demographics:

Ghost WriterResearch Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 33.6% Female, 66.4%Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between ghost writer and research writer duties and responsibilities

Ghost writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage a team of RFP writers and work with a cross-functional team to meet RFP requirements and establish deadlines.
  • Rewrite author's manuscript into a twenty-plus chapter, fact-base fiction novel.
  • Research and draft return on investment (ROI) kitchen and basement remodeling articles utilizing SEO best practices.
  • Work closely with developers to integrate UI standards into the application and to build intuitive navigation and functionality.
  • Coordinate efforts between web developers, SharePoint site administrators and product support representatives to build and support an active online community.

Research writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the proposal lifecycle, including RFP analysis, regular communications, proposal development and production consistent with branding strategies.
  • Upload content and photos on Wordpress and create SEO meta descriptions.
  • Recognize by audience as thought leader in NFL coverage and commentary.
  • Assist the editor-in-chief with expanding the team of contributing writers to attract readers.
  • Proofread and spell check written content, review articles, videos, and books regarding the given topic.
  • Research various topics base on clients requests in order to write keyword articles for search engine optimization (SEO).
  • Show more

Ghost writer vs research writer skills

Common ghost writer skills
  • Blog Posts, 18%
  • Web Content, 16%
  • SEO, 14%
  • Fiction, 9%
  • Ghost Writing, 9%
  • Press Releases, 6%
Common research writer skills
  • Research Topics, 15%
  • Press Releases, 13%
  • Editorials, 8%
  • Web Content, 6%
  • Conduct Research, 6%
  • Oral Histories, 4%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs