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The differences between writers 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, becoming a journalist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, which is higher than the $60,828 average annual salary of a journalist.
The top three skills for a writer include work ethic, customer service and web content. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Writer | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,143 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $31.80 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | 4% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,931 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
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.
Writers and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Writer | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $66,143 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $107,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a writer and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Writer | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between writers' and journalists' demographics:
| Writer | Journalist | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| 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, 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 | 16% | 10% |