Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal technical 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 principal technical writer and a staff writer. Additionally, a principal technical writer has an average salary of $66,896, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a principal technical writer include java, develop user and XML. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Principal Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $66,896 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $32.16 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,883 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 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.
Principal technical writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $66,896 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $88,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a principal technical writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal technical writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| Principal Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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% |