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The differences between writers and authors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a writer and an author. Additionally, an author has an average salary of $78,368, which is higher than the $66,143 average annual salary of a writer.
The top three skills for a writer include work ethic, customer service and web content. The most important skills for an author are veterans, JAN, and DOD.
| Writer | Author | |
| Yearly salary | $66,143 | $78,368 |
| Hourly rate | $31.80 | $37.68 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 13,931 | 953 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An author is an individual individual responsible for developing creative stories published in formats such as books, movies, or television scripts. Authors conduct research of information that may be included in their works, whether they are fictional or non-fictional. Before publicly making their work available, authors must present a draft to editors for feedback and approval. Authors may work as self-employed or freelance and sell their written content to book publishers or advertising agencies.
Writers and authors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Writer | Author | |
| Average salary | $66,143 | $78,368 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $107,000 | Between $51,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Beverly, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | John Wiley & Sons |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a writer and an author in terms of educational background:
| Writer | Author | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between writers' and authors' demographics:
| Writer | Author | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |