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The differences between script writers and senior technical 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 script writer and a senior technical writer. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, which is higher than the $64,254 average annual salary of a script writer.
The top three skills for a script writer include test cases, test scripts and database. The most important skills for a senior technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and API.
| Script Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,254 | $70,820 |
| Hourly rate | $30.89 | $34.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 15,222 | 80,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Scriptwriting is an art and craft that requires both imagination and creativity to create entertaining content and tell a story in both dialogue and picture. The script can be educational, training, film, television programs, or entertainment. The duties and responsibilities include creating characters and coming up with skeleton plots for the producer to direct the narrative and determine the outcome of events.
A senior technical writer's role is to oversee the progress within a team or department, ensuring quality and timeliness. It is their responsibility to delegate tasks, set deadlines, carry out corrective measures on any issues, and implement the company's regulations and policies. There are also instances when they participate in producing written content, even editing and reviewing materials of the staff. As someone with more experience, a senior technical writer must encourage and lead fellow writers, shaping them into valuable assets.
Script writers and senior technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Script Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $64,254 | $70,820 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $106,000 | Between $54,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Snap | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a script writer and a senior technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Script Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Communication | English |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between script writers' and senior technical writers' demographics:
| Script Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |