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The differences between principal technical writers and technical writer leads 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 technical writer lead. Additionally, a principal technical writer has an average salary of $66,896, which is higher than the $66,624 average annual salary of a technical writer lead.
The top three skills for a principal technical writer include java, develop user and XML. The most important skills for a technical writer lead are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and maintenance procedures.
| Principal Technical Writer | Technical Writer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $66,896 | $66,624 |
| Hourly rate | $32.16 | $32.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,883 | 75,697 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Principal technical writers and technical writer leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technical Writer | Technical Writer Lead | |
| Average salary | $66,896 | $66,624 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $88,000 | Between $52,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a principal technical writer and a technical writer lead in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technical Writer | Technical Writer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between principal technical writers' and technical writer leads' demographics:
| Principal Technical Writer | Technical Writer Lead | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% |
| 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, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |