Freelance medical writer vs research writer

The differences between freelance medical writers and research writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a freelance medical writer and a research writer. Additionally, a freelance medical writer has an average salary of $96,709, which is higher than the $50,741 average annual salary of a research writer.

The top three skills for a freelance medical writer include literature reviews, medical communications and medical writing. The most important skills for a research writer are research topics, press releases, and editorials.

Freelance medical writer vs research writer overview

	Freelance Medical Writer	Research Writer
Yearly salary	$96,709	$50,741
Hourly rate	$46.49	$24.39
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	59,672	60,595
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Freelance medical writer vs research writer salary

Freelance medical writers and research writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Freelance Medical Writer	Research Writer
Average salary	$96,709	$50,741
Salary range	Between $65,000 And $142,000	Between $32,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	Brookline, MA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between freelance medical writer and research writer education

There are a few differences between a freelance medical writer and a research writer in terms of educational background:

	Freelance Medical Writer	Research Writer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Biology	English
Most common college	University of Southern California	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Freelance medical writer vs research writer demographics

Here are the differences between freelance medical writers' and research writers' demographics:

	Freelance Medical Writer	Research Writer
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 28.5% Female, 71.5%	Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between freelance medical writer and research writer duties and responsibilities

Freelance medical writer example responsibilities.

Manage, and assist in the recruiting activities of, CRO resources preparing regulatory documents on behalf of APGD.
Create content relate to recent FDA approvals and current medical research.
Organize and consolidate information into standard report formats, preparing and proofreading correspondence and documents in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
Fda-Regulate environment (CFR regulations).

Research writer example responsibilities.

Manage the proposal lifecycle, including RFP analysis, regular communications, proposal development and production consistent with branding strategies.
Upload content and photos on Wordpress and create SEO meta descriptions.
Recognize by audience as thought leader in NFL coverage and commentary.
Assist the editor-in-chief with expanding the team of contributing writers to attract readers.
Proofread and spell check written content, review articles, videos, and books regarding the given topic.
Research various topics base on clients requests in order to write keyword articles for search engine optimization (SEO).

Freelance medical writer vs research writer skills

Common freelance medical writer skills

Literature Reviews, 17%
Medical Communications, 8%
Medical Writing, 7%
Proofread, 7%
Literature Searches, 6%
Scientific Content, 5%

Common research writer skills

Research Topics, 15%
Press Releases, 13%
Editorials, 8%
Web Content, 6%
Conduct Research, 6%
Oral Histories, 4%

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Freelance Medical Writer
Freelance Medical Writer vs Research Writer

Updated January 8, 2025

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