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The differences between principal technical writers and feature 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 principal technical writer and a feature writer. Additionally, a principal technical writer has an average salary of $66,896, which is higher than the $35,590 average annual salary of a feature writer.
The top three skills for a principal technical writer include java, develop user and XML. The most important skills for a feature writer are web content, feature stories, and lifestyle.
| Principal Technical Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $66,896 | $35,590 |
| Hourly rate | $32.16 | $17.11 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,883 | 10,279 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Principal Technical Writer creates useful tutorials, videos, and product documentation in fast-paced environments. Besides writing highly technical content describing the product functionality, Principal Technical Writers also develop project programs, maintain specific project schedules and update the documentation manager about the documentation status. They put together and offer online help and enhance the first-user experience by developing tutorials. Moreover, a Principal Technical Writer delivers meaningful UI strings and useful error-free messages by working hand-in-hand with user experience team members.
A feature writer is someone who writes real-time news, telling it with a mix of narrative and proper news writing. They can choose from a variety of topics and styles. They have a wide vocabulary to give a big impact. They also use idiomatic expressions and figures of speech to compel readers into reading and digging for more information based on what they wrote. However, despite making these stories and features colorful, that doesn't permit any feature writer to write any false narrative and must make sure that their articles are still factual and educational.
Principal technical writers and feature writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technical Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Average salary | $66,896 | $35,590 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $88,000 | Between $24,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a principal technical writer and a feature writer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technical Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal technical writers' and feature writers' demographics:
| Principal Technical Writer | Feature Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |