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The differences between technical writers and senior 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 writer. Additionally, a senior writer has an average salary of $80,145, 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 writer are project management, web content, and wordpress.
| Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $80,145 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $38.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 15,995 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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 writer is responsible for assisting junior writers in creating compositions and digital content according to business functions and client needs. A senior writer should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as well as extensive knowledge of composition structures and developing engaging pieces to attract the target audience and potential clients, driving resources for revenue and profits. They also coordinate with clients on any adjustments and instructions to support their goals and objectives.
Technical writers and senior writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $80,145 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $54,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a senior writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and senior writers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| 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, 6.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |