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The differences between senior technical writers and reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior technical writer and a reporter. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, which is higher than the $46,667 average annual salary of a reporter.
The top three skills for a senior technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and API. The most important skills for a reporter are news stories, digital marketing, and facebook.
| Senior Technical Writer | Reporter | |
| Yearly Salary | $70,820 | $46,667 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $22.44 |
| Growth Rate | 6% | -10% |
| Number Of Jobs | 80,897 | 11,179 |
| Job Satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average Age | 46 | 40 |
| Years Of Experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff. Furthermore, a reporter must remain professional at all times and adhere to the policies and regulations set by the company or network.
Senior technical writers and reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Writer | Reporter | |
| Average Salary | $70,820 | $46,667 |
| Salary Range | Between $54,000 And $92,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest Paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest Paying State | California | New Jersey |
| Best Paying Company | PayPal | Citi |
| Best Paying Industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a senior technical writer and a reporter in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Writer | Reporter | |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most Common Major | English | Journalism |
| Most Common College | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior technical writers' and reporters' demographics:
| Senior Technical Writer | Reporter | |
| Average Age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender Ratio | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |