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The differences between writers and news reporters 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 news reporter takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a writer has an average salary of $66,143, which is higher than the $41,481 average annual salary of a news reporter.
The top three skills for a writer include work ethic, customer service and web content. The most important skills for a news reporter are digital marketing, local community, and facebook.
| Writer | News Reporter | |
| Yearly salary | $66,143 | $41,481 |
| Hourly rate | $31.80 | $19.94 |
| Growth rate | 4% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,931 | 11,609 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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.
News Reporters collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events through interview, investigation, or observation. They carry cameras and take photos and video footage of objects or places of potential significance.
Writers and news reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Writer | News Reporter | |
| Average salary | $66,143 | $41,481 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $107,000 | Between $26,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Monitor Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a writer and a news reporter in terms of educational background:
| Writer | News Reporter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between writers' and news reporters' demographics:
| Writer | News Reporter | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 10% |