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The differences between technical 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 writer and a senior technical writer. Additionally, a senior technical writer has an average salary of $70,820, 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 senior technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and API.
| Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $70,820 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $34.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 80,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
A senior technical writer's role is to oversee the progress within a team or department, ensuring quality and timeliness. It is their responsibility to delegate tasks, set deadlines, carry out corrective measures on any issues, and implement the company's regulations and policies. There are also instances when they participate in producing written content, even editing and reviewing materials of the staff. As someone with more experience, a senior technical writer must encourage and lead fellow writers, shaping them into valuable assets.
Technical writers and senior technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $70,820 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $54,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a senior technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and senior technical writers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% |
| 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, 6.6% 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% |