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The differences between technical writers and document specialists 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 document specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $39,044 average annual salary of a document specialist.
The top three skills for a technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a document specialist are clinical documentation, patients, and customer service.
| Technical Writer | Document Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $39,044 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $18.77 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 23,728 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
Documentation specialists are responsible for managing office documents and developing a long-term storage strategy. They have varied responsibilities, including organizing, storing and retrieving records, and training other staff members on practical documentation usage. It is also their job to proofread and remove obsolete documents, utilizing storage applications and software. There are several requirements needed to be qualified for this position, including a communications degree, excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and excellent verbal and written communication.
Technical writers and document specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Document Specialist | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $39,044 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $24,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Adobe |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a document specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Document Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and document specialists' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Document Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0% |
| 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% |