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The differences between senior technical writers and senior 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 senior technical writer and a senior writer. Additionally, a senior writer has an average salary of $80,145, which is higher than the $70,820 average annual salary of a senior technical writer.
The top three skills for a senior technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and API. The most important skills for a senior writer are project management, web content, and wordpress.
| Senior Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,820 | $80,145 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $38.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 80,897 | 15,995 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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.
A senior writer is responsible for assisting junior writers in creating compositions and digital content according to business functions and client needs. A senior writer should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as well as extensive knowledge of composition structures and developing engaging pieces to attract the target audience and potential clients, driving resources for revenue and profits. They also coordinate with clients on any adjustments and instructions to support their goals and objectives.
Senior technical writers and senior writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average salary | $70,820 | $80,145 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $92,000 | Between $54,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior technical writer and a senior writer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior technical writers' and senior writers' demographics:
| Senior Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| 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, 6.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |