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The differences between public relations writers and staff writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a public relations writer, becoming a staff writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a public relations writer has an average salary of $56,528, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a public relations writer include web content, internal newsletter and feature stories. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Public Relations Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,528 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $27.18 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 27,446 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Public relations writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $56,528 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $75,000 | 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 public relations writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Communication | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between public relations writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| Public Relations Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 12% | 11% |