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Technical writer lead vs staff writer

The differences between technical writer leads 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 lead and a staff writer. Additionally, a technical writer lead has an average salary of $66,624, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff 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 staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Technical writer lead vs staff writer overview

Technical Writer LeadStaff Writer
Yearly salary$66,624$44,844
Hourly rate$32.03$21.56
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs75,69780,547
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Technical writer lead vs staff writer salary

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

Technical Writer LeadStaff Writer
Average salary$66,624$44,844
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $85,000Between $29,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-The New York Times Company
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between technical writer lead and staff writer education

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

Technical Writer LeadStaff Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeUniversity of HoustonMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Technical writer lead vs staff writer demographics

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

Technical Writer LeadStaff Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 53.5% Female, 46.5%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between technical writer lead and staff 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

Staff writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage magazine's transition to a new CMS system.
  • Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
  • Manage arts and entertainment editorial calendar, assign stories to multiple freelancers and plan daily coverage.
  • Assist with copywriting, magazine and advertisement layout.
  • Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
  • Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.
  • Show more

Technical writer lead vs staff 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 staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%

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