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The differences between scientific writers and content 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 a content editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $61,694 average annual salary of a content editor.
The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.
| Scientific Writer | Content Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $99,550 | $61,694 |
| Hourly rate | $47.86 | $29.66 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 15,960 | 18,586 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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.
A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.
Scientific writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average salary | $99,550 | $61,694 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $150,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New York |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a scientific writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Writer | Content Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Biology | English |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between scientific writers' and content editors' demographics:
| Scientific Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| 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, 8.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |