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The differences between technical writers and staff 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 staff writer. Additionally, a technical writer has an average salary of $65,329, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a technical writer include technical documentation, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
Technical writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |