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The differences between technical writers and writers 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 writer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, 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 writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.
| Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,329 | $66,143 |
| Hourly rate | $31.41 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 75,090 | 13,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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 writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.
Technical writers and writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Average salary | $65,329 | $66,143 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $40,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a technical writer and a writer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical writers' and writers' demographics:
| Technical Writer | Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |