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The differences between scientific writers and assistant editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a scientific writer, becoming an assistant editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $52,284 average annual salary of an assistant editor.
The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.
| Scientific Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $99,550 | $52,284 |
| Hourly rate | $47.86 | $25.14 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 15,960 | 8,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Scientific writers are professionals who are responsible for conducting research and writing articles that are related to scientific topics for many different kinds of publications and scientific journals. These writers are required to conduct interviews with scientists and other important people to ensure accurate information about the essays they are writing. They must adapt and comply with in-house style guides as well as perform copy-editing and proofreading duties. Scientific writers must also build up a network of contacts with other professionals in the industry such as press officers, PR executives, and researchers.
An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.
Scientific writers and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Average salary | $99,550 | $52,284 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $150,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New York |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Media |
There are a few differences between a scientific writer and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Biology | English |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between scientific writers' and assistant editors' demographics:
| Scientific Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| 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, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |