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The differences between technical writers and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical writer, becoming a business analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a business analyst has an average salary of $74,431, which is higher than the $65,329 average annual salary of a technical writer.
The top three skills for a technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Technical Writer | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Technical Writers specialize in producing easy-to-understand instructional or informational written materials, such as media and journal articles, assessments and guidelines, and legal forms of documentation. For Technical Writers to develop well-versed content, one must conduct thorough research on the topic or idea to ensure factual legitimacy and communicate with those whose expertise aligns with the subject. Aside from producing, Technical Writers can also improve or convert complex written materials such as operating manuals or documents into one that can be easily understood by the general public.
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
Technical writers and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and business analysts' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |