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The differences between principal technical writers and medical 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 medical writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $66,896 average annual salary of a principal technical writer.
The top three skills for a principal technical writer include java, develop user and XML. The most important skills for a medical writer are medical writing, patients, and clinical research.
| Principal Technical Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $66,896 | $93,842 |
| Hourly rate | $32.16 | $45.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,883 | 59,516 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
As the name entails, medical writers produce technical, educational, promotional, and technical content. They typically work with physicians, scientists, and subject matter experts to produce documentation that defines product usage and research results. Their duties and responsibilities may vary, but they perform some common tasks, including developing documentation related to clinical trials, creating monographs, and developing promotional materials. Medical writers are also responsible for creating grant proposals, writing newspaper and magazine articles, and creating presentations for conferences.
Principal technical writers and medical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technical Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average salary | $66,896 | $93,842 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $88,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | Biogen |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a principal technical writer and a medical writer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technical Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | English | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between principal technical writers' and medical writers' demographics:
| Principal Technical Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |