Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between technical publications writers and senior technical 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 senior technical writer. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, 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 senior technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and API.
| Technical Publications Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,526 | $70,820 |
| Hourly rate | $32.95 | $34.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,832 | 80,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Technical publications writers and senior technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Publications Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $68,526 | $70,820 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $88,000 | Between $54,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alameda, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Yahoo | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical publications writer and a senior technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Publications Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between technical publications writers' and senior technical writers' demographics:
| Technical Publications Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.3% Female, 54.7% | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% |
| 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% |