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The differences between technical publications writers and medical 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 technical publications writer and a medical writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $68,526 average annual salary of a technical publications writer.
The top three skills for a technical publications writer include technical publications, technical manuals and technical support. The most important skills for a medical writer are medical writing, patients, and clinical research.
| Technical Publications Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,526 | $93,842 |
| Hourly rate | $32.95 | $45.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,832 | 59,516 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Technical publications writers and medical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Publications Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average salary | $68,526 | $93,842 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $88,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alameda, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Yahoo | Biogen |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a technical publications writer and a medical writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Publications Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | English | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between technical publications writers' and medical writers' demographics:
| Technical Publications Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.3% Female, 54.7% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 71.8% 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% |