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The differences between scientific writers and staff writers 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 staff writer. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Scientific Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,550 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $47.86 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 15,960 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| 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 staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
Scientific writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $99,550 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $150,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a scientific writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 staff writers' demographics:
| Scientific Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |