Magazine writer vs staff writer

The differences between magazine writers and staff 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 magazine writer and a staff writer. Additionally, a magazine writer has an average salary of $54,951, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.

The top three skills for a magazine writer include photo shoots, writing articles and feature stories. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Magazine writer vs staff writer overview

	Magazine Writer	Staff Writer
Yearly salary	$54,951	$44,844
Hourly rate	$26.42	$21.56
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	10,204	80,547
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Magazine writer vs staff writer salary

Magazine writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Magazine Writer	Staff Writer
Average salary	$54,951	$44,844
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $90,000	Between $29,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	The New York Times Company
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between magazine writer and staff writer education

There are a few differences between a magazine writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:

	Magazine Writer	Staff Writer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Journalism	Journalism
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Magazine writer vs staff writer demographics

Here are the differences between magazine writers' and staff writers' demographics:

	Magazine Writer	Staff Writer
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%	Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black 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%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between magazine writer and staff writer duties and responsibilities

Magazine writer example responsibilities.

Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
Pitch, write and photograph audience-aligned content, which are centered on the European-American luxury lifestyle in the greater Chicago area
Work with Microsoft programs, quark, and cash register.

Staff writer example responsibilities.

Manage magazine's transition to a new CMS system.
Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
Manage arts and entertainment editorial calendar, assign stories to multiple freelancers and plan daily coverage.
Assist with copywriting, magazine and advertisement layout.
Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.

Magazine writer vs staff writer skills

Common magazine writer skills

Photo Shoots, 18%
Writing Articles, 15%
Feature Stories, 11%
Alumni, 11%
Indesign, 9%
News Articles, 8%

Common staff writer skills

Feature Stories, 9%
News Stories, 8%
Event Coverage, 7%
News Articles, 7%
SEO, 6%
Photography, 6%

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Magazine Writer
Magazine Writer vs Staff Writer

Updated January 8, 2025

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