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The differences between staff writers and journalists 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 journalist. Additionally, a journalist has an average salary of $60,828, 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 journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Staff Writer | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,844 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $21.56 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 80,547 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| 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 journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
Staff writers and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Writer | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $44,844 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $68,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | The New York Times Company | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a staff writer and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Staff Writer | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between staff writers' and journalists' demographics:
| Staff Writer | Journalist | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |