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The differences between technical writers and grant 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 writer and a grant writer. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $52,719 average annual salary of a grant writer.
The top three skills for a technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a grant writer are grants management, financial reports, and proposal development.
| Technical Writer | Grant Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $52,719 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $25.35 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 16,708 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Often working for a non-profit organization, a grant writer specializes in writing application letters for financial grants to foundations, government agencies, and companies. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining records of data and documentation, finding grant opportunities, participating in devising strategies that benefit the company's growth, crafting correspondence, gathering requirements, and submitting and monitoring grant proposals. Furthermore, a grant writer must have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the organization they work for, including its history, vision, mission, policies, and regulations.
Technical writers and grant writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Grant Writer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $52,719 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $38,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a grant writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Grant Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and grant writers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Grant Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |