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The differences between scientific writers and senior 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 senior editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $90,094 average annual salary of a senior editor.
The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for a senior editor are edit content, video content, and SEO.
| Scientific Writer | Senior Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $99,550 | $90,094 |
| Hourly rate | $47.86 | $43.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 15,960 | 12,150 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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 Senior Editor determines the editorial content for a publication. They supervise the content creation process and manage junior editors.
Scientific writers and senior editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Writer | Senior Editor | |
| Average salary | $99,550 | $90,094 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $150,000 | Between $66,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a scientific writer and a senior editor in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Writer | Senior 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 senior editors' demographics:
| Scientific Writer | Senior Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3% |
| 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 76.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |