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The differences between news 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 news writer and a staff writer. Additionally, a news writer has an average salary of $45,129, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a news writer include news articles, ABC and SEO. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| News Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,129 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $21.70 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 17,010 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A news writer is primarily responsible for producing informative written materials about current events, ensuring quality and accuracy. Their responsibilities typically revolve around conducting interviews, traveling to different locations, pursuing leads, researching public records, and submitting stories within the expected deadline and set format. Typically working for newspapers or web news platforms, a news writer must also review materials to fact-check and correct any errors, monitor the progress of events or cases, and coordinate with other staff.
A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
News writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $45,129 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $64,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a news writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| News Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between news writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| News Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 10% | 11% |