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What is a staff writer and how to become one
Staff writers hold a permanent position at a periodical publication. They deliver articles regularly, typically on a set topic each month. Staff writers research their assignments, conducting interviews, if necessary, creating engaging content, and editing their own material, as well as texts of other writers, if necessary.
Being a staff writer is the first step toward becoming a journalist. It is an office-based job, as opposed to a reporter traveling on location to cover stories, and staff writers produce standard content such as reviews, reports, or features.
As a creative job, being a staff writer is exciting and rewarding, allowing you to constantly broaden your horizons and keep yourself intellectually stimulated while earning good money. But it also has its downsides, specifically, the fact that it is both creative and a job. Meaning you have to be creative on demand, which can be incredibly exhausting and have you burned out, if you do not find a way to replenish your ingenious productivity.
What general advice would you give to a Staff Writer?
Cathy Irwin Ph.D.
Professor of English, University of La Verne
English majors from La Verne graduate with excellent writing and critical thinking skills. As a result, they do have opportunities after they graduate. Many of them are hired in jobs because of their writing and editing skills. A large percentage of students decide to go to graduate school. They want to serve their communities, so they become teachers, librarians, lawyers, and officers in non-profits or the city sector.
The medical field is also starting to welcome students from the humanities because they are looking for well-rounded, articulate, and compassionate people. If students with a humanities degree want to go into the health or medical sector, they can apply to one-year post-baccalaureate programs that lead to medical school.
Avg. Salary $44,844
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 6%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%
Asian 8.78%
Black or African American 6.71%
Hispanic or Latino 7.89%
Unknown 4.99%
White 71.29%
Genderfemale 50.80%
male 49.20%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Staff Writer career paths
Key steps to become a staff writer
Explore staff writer education requirements
Start to develop specific staff writer skills
Skills 
Percentages Feature Stories 8.83% News Stories 8.15% Event Coverage 7.48% News Articles 7.24% SEO 6.41% Complete relevant staff writer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff writer resumes.Research staff writer duties and 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.
Prepare your staff writer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff writer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Writer Resume templates
Build a professional Staff Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Staff Writer resume.
Apply for staff writer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a staff writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Staff Writer Job
Are you a Staff Writer?
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Average staff writer salary
The average Staff Writer salary in the United States is $44,844 per year or $22 per hour. Staff writer salaries range between $29,000 and $68,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do staff writers rate their job?
Staff Writer reviews
Research on Future computers , countries , foods , culture , doctors and singers.
It offers a less stressful environment to work with and it broadens the knowledge.
It gets boring when you are doing it long enough.
I learned to read and write at an early age and have avidly pursued it since. Beside school publications and assignments, I've sought out numerous outlets for my love of writing, from features and sports writer for my local weekly news paper, to AP stringer for election coverage, to a Pohlad family internship at one of southeastern Minnesota's most respected dailies.
Unexpected deadlines, I guess, although it sometimes seems I do my sharpest writing in those pressured situations.
Updated January 8, 2025
