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The differences between news 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 a news 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 $45,129 average annual salary of a news writer.
The top three skills for a news writer include news articles, ABC and SEO. The most important skills for a writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.
| News Writer | Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,129 | $66,143 |
| Hourly rate | $21.70 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 17,010 | 13,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 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.
News writers and writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Writer | Writer | |
| Average salary | $45,129 | $66,143 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $64,000 | Between $40,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a news writer and a writer in terms of educational background:
| News Writer | Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between news writers' and writers' demographics:
| News Writer | Writer | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 16% |