Post job

Technical writer lead vs contributing writer

The differences between technical writer leads and contributing 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 lead and a contributing writer. Additionally, a technical writer lead has an average salary of $66,624, which is higher than the $51,372 average annual salary of a contributing writer.

The top three skills for a technical writer lead include technical documentation, subject matter experts and maintenance procedures. The most important skills for a contributing writer are lifestyle, web content, and SEO.

Technical writer lead vs contributing writer overview

Technical Writer LeadContributing Writer
Yearly salary$66,624$51,372
Hourly rate$32.03$24.70
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs75,69710,292
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Technical writer lead vs contributing writer salary

Technical writer leads and contributing writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Technical Writer LeadContributing Writer
Average salary$66,624$51,372
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $85,000Between $34,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between technical writer lead and contributing writer education

There are a few differences between a technical writer lead and a contributing writer in terms of educational background:

Technical Writer LeadContributing Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeUniversity of HoustonMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Technical writer lead vs contributing writer demographics

Here are the differences between technical writer leads' and contributing writers' demographics:

Technical Writer LeadContributing Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 53.5% Female, 46.5%Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between technical writer lead and contributing writer duties and responsibilities

Technical writer lead example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate meetings, write and edit documentation, maintain SharePoint database, manage high-visibility special projects in a fast-pace environment.
  • Design graphics and illustrations for product documentation and training materials (CorelDraw and Visio).
  • Model include XML, HTML, and style sheet templates, guidelines, and training sessions.
  • Collaborate with SMEs to understand technical specifications.
  • Design an HTML instructional help system for a secure-encryption network product.
  • Process documents though the BCCR process for FDA regulations and legal requirements.
  • Show more

Contributing writer example responsibilities.

  • Collaborate with overseas team and manage documents using SharePoint to conceptualize and generate new marketing content.
  • Pitch, write and photograph audience-aligned content, which are centered on the European-American luxury lifestyle in the greater Chicago area
  • Create SharePoint site for marketing and communications that include project tracking, document governance and collaboration space.

Technical writer lead vs contributing writer skills

Common technical writer lead skills
  • Technical Documentation, 8%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 7%
  • Maintenance Procedures, 6%
  • Status Reports, 6%
  • Engineering Drawings, 5%
  • User Guides, 4%
Common contributing writer skills
  • Lifestyle, 13%
  • Web Content, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 6%
  • Conduct Interviews, 5%
  • Blog Posts, 5%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs