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The differences between technical writers and software engineers 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Technical Writer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 46 | 39 |
| 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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Technical writers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | English | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |