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The differences between writer and editors and journalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a writer and editor, becoming a journalist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a writer and editor has an average salary of $61,482, which is higher than the $60,828 average annual salary of a journalist.
The top three skills for a writer and editor include web content, blog posts and press releases. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Writer And Editor | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,482 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $29.56 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 14,865 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Writing is not an easy task, so a Writer and an Editor must work together to deliver quality content. A writer's role is to gather information to create a structured written material that would serve its purpose, whether for recreational or informational. Moreover, it is the Editor's responsibility to oversee and examine what the Writer has produced. From this, the Editor will provide feedback, corrections or suggestions, and guidelines that the Writer can follow to improve the material.
A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
Writer and editors and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Writer And Editor | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $61,482 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $103,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between a writer and editor and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Writer And Editor | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between writer and editors' and journalists' demographics:
| Writer And Editor | Journalist | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |