Post job

Travel writer vs staff writer

The differences between travel writers and staff writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a travel writer has an average salary of $57,196, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.

The top three skills for a travel writer include SEO, blogging and blog posts. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Travel writer vs staff writer overview

Travel WriterStaff Writer
Yearly salary$57,196$44,844
Hourly rate$27.50$21.56
Growth rate4%6%
Number of jobs18,25880,547
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4246
Years of experience-2

What does a travel writer do?

The major role of a Travel Writer is to describe various tourist destinations for diverse publications using their personal experiences and knowledge. These write-ups can either be in the form of articles, blurbs, and documentaries or even travel guides. In most cases, a travel writer attaches photographs of places they've visited in their writing. The combination of words and photographs usually allows the reader to visualize the experience. You may either work for a company or do freelance work, but either way, your job involves creating informational articles on interesting places people can visit.

What does a staff writer do?

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.

Travel writer vs staff writer salary

Travel writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Travel WriterStaff Writer
Average salary$57,196$44,844
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $93,000Between $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 travel writer and staff writer education

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

Travel WriterStaff Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Travel writer vs staff writer demographics

Here are the differences between travel writers' and staff writers' demographics:

Travel WriterStaff Writer
Average age4246
Gender ratioMale, 35.0% Female, 65.0%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.5% 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 Percentage16%11%

Differences between travel writer and staff writer duties and responsibilities

Travel writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
  • Work with Wordpress as a CMS.
  • Construct elements using rudimentary HTML code - including text, art - for effective Craiglist ad.
  • Generate attention-grabbing, relevant topics using SEO tactics including keyword research and on-page optimization.
  • Conduct interviews, extensive research and original photography to accurately source articles and corresponding images within deadline.
  • Serve as coordinator for ITG portal during migration to SharePoint
  • 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

Travel writer vs staff writer skills

Common travel writer skills
  • SEO, 55%
  • Blogging, 33%
  • Blog Posts, 3%
  • CMS, 2%
  • Twitter, 1%
  • Facebook, 1%
Common staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs