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The differences between staff writers and contributing 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 staff writer and a contributing writer. Additionally, a contributing writer has an average salary of $51,372, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a staff writer include feature stories, news stories and event coverage. The most important skills for a contributing writer are lifestyle, web content, and SEO.
| Staff Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $44,844 | $51,372 |
| Hourly rate | $21.56 | $24.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 80,547 | 10,292 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A contributing writer is responsible for contributing content to a publication or a specific client, typically on a freelance basis. Contributing writers must have a strong command of their language and extensive understanding of the topics assigned to them. They should be keen on details, perfecting grammar usage with proper writing elements. A contributing writer performs in-depth research to support content, ensuring the accuracy of information to release a high-quality article and serve a good read for the target audience. Contributing writers must have excellent time-management and communication skills, especially on meeting deadlines and doing revisions.
Staff writers and contributing writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Average salary | $44,844 | $51,372 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $68,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | The New York Times Company | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a staff writer and a contributing writer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between staff writers' and contributing writers' demographics:
| Staff Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |