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Newspaper writer vs columnist

The differences between newspaper writers and columnists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a newspaper writer and a columnist. Additionally, a newspaper writer has an average salary of $53,083, which is higher than the $50,696 average annual salary of a columnist.

The top three skills for a newspaper writer include adobe indesign, editorials and conduct interviews. The most important skills for a columnist are student newspaper, opinion pieces, and twitter.

Newspaper writer vs columnist overview

Newspaper WriterColumnist
Yearly salary$53,083$50,696
Hourly rate$25.52$24.37
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs10,5121,783
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Newspaper writer vs columnist salary

Newspaper writers and columnists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Newspaper WriterColumnist
Average salary$53,083$50,696
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $74,000Between $34,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between newspaper writer and columnist education

There are a few differences between a newspaper writer and a columnist in terms of educational background:

Newspaper WriterColumnist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorCommunicationJournalism
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Newspaper writer vs columnist demographics

Here are the differences between newspaper writers' and columnists' demographics:

Newspaper WriterColumnist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 43.6% Female, 56.4%Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between newspaper writer and columnist duties and responsibilities

Newspaper writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
  • Proofread all columns before being publish, train new employees, write opinion and news columns.
  • Create and envision editorials for the publication.
  • Coordinate and conduct interviews with article subjects, and maintain constant communication with editor-in-chief.
  • Create story and editorial ideas to give to writers, to help generate interest and ensure circulation of the paper.
  • Coordinate and conduct interviews with article subjects, and maintain constant communication with editor-in-chief.

Columnist example responsibilities.

  • Share articles via twitter and facebook.
  • Frequent contributor to several British on- and off-line men's magazines.
  • Provide weekly articles on the NBA featuring analysis, news and opinions.
  • Content promotion via social networks (Facebook, twitter, etc .).
  • Focuse on trending topics while providing a solid SEO and social media component.
  • Explain complex NBA concepts and strategies in simple terms through diagram photos and videos.
  • Show more

Newspaper writer vs columnist skills

Common newspaper writer skills
  • Adobe Indesign, 15%
  • Editorials, 15%
  • Conduct Interviews, 15%
  • News Articles, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Writing Articles, 9%
Common columnist skills
  • Student Newspaper, 16%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • News Stories, 5%

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