Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between research 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 research writer and a staff writer. Additionally, a research writer has an average salary of $50,741, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a research writer include research topics, press releases and editorials. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Research Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,741 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $24.39 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,595 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Research writers are professionals who conduct extensive research by taking complex information and then explaining it in lay terminology. These writers are required to conduct extensive research on various topics based on the requests of their clients to write keyword articles for search engine optimization (SEO). They must work with a wide variety of clients who specialize in web content to complete strategic research and content creation projects. Research writers must also manage research projects for companies, local and overseas.
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.
Research writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $50,741 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $80,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brookline, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a research writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Research Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between research writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| Research Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.0% 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% |