Post job

Scientific technical writer vs writing consultant

The differences between scientific technical writers and writing consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a scientific technical writer and a writing consultant. Additionally, a scientific technical writer has an average salary of $78,877, which is higher than the $32,574 average annual salary of a writing consultant.

The top three skills for a scientific technical writer include sops, subject matter experts and FDA. The most important skills for a writing consultant are writing process, proper grammar, and grammatical errors.

Scientific technical writer vs writing consultant overview

Scientific Technical WriterWriting Consultant
Yearly salary$78,877$32,574
Hourly rate$37.92$15.66
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs79,68015,003
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Scientific technical writer vs writing consultant salary

Scientific technical writers and writing consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Scientific Technical WriterWriting Consultant
Average salary$78,877$32,574
Salary rangeBetween $57,000 And $109,000Between $21,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between scientific technical writer and writing consultant education

There are a few differences between a scientific technical writer and a writing consultant in terms of educational background:

Scientific Technical WriterWriting Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorBiologyEnglish
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Houston

Scientific technical writer vs writing consultant demographics

Here are the differences between scientific technical writers' and writing consultants' demographics:

Scientific Technical WriterWriting Consultant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 35.4% Female, 64.6%Male, 33.1% Female, 66.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.2% 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, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between scientific technical writer and writing consultant duties and responsibilities

Scientific technical writer example responsibilities.

  • Help company achieve ISO registration by determining best practices, writing ISO compliant manufacturing instructions and teaching best manufacturing processes.
  • Maintain contacts within the FDA and EPA to stay abreast of the latest regulatory actions.
  • Develop sophisticated PowerPoint presentations for cross-departmental meetings.
  • Develop sophisticated PowerPoint presentations for cross-departmental meetings.

Writing consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage SharePoint documentation repository, including some administrator duties.
  • Provide exceptional knowledge of language, grammar, and composition in order to assist international students to achieve academic excellence.
  • Manipulate on-line content using HTML and CMS tools, e.g., Google pages and WordPress.
  • Gain proficiency in MLA, APA, and Chicago composition formats, and educate writers in the distinctions of each.
  • Apply different styles of writing such as AP, APA, MLA, and CMS to formatting and proofreading final copy.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for CEO.
  • Show more

Scientific technical writer vs writing consultant skills

Common scientific technical writer skills
  • Sops, 26%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 20%
  • FDA, 14%
  • Technical Reports, 9%
  • ISO, 6%
  • Adobe Acrobat, 6%
Common writing consultant skills
  • Writing Process, 21%
  • Proper Grammar, 12%
  • Grammatical Errors, 10%
  • MLA, 6%
  • APA, 5%
  • ESL, 4%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs