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The differences between scientific writers and journalists 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 writer and a journalist. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $60,828 average annual salary of a journalist.
The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Scientific Writer | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,550 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $47.86 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 15,960 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
Scientific writers and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Writer | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $99,550 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $150,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New York |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a scientific writer and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Writer | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between scientific writers' and journalists' demographics:
| Scientific Writer | Journalist | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |