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Freelance medical writer vs staff writer

The differences between freelance medical writers and staff 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 staff writer. Additionally, a freelance medical writer has an average salary of $96,709, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.

The top three skills for a freelance medical writer include literature reviews, medical communications and medical writing. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Freelance medical writer vs staff writer overview

Freelance Medical WriterStaff Writer
Yearly salary$96,709$44,844
Hourly rate$46.49$21.56
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs59,67280,547
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Freelance medical writer vs staff writer salary

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

Freelance Medical WriterStaff Writer
Average salary$96,709$44,844
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $142,000Between $29,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-The New York Times Company
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between freelance medical writer and staff writer education

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

Freelance Medical WriterStaff Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorBiologyJournalism
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Freelance medical writer vs staff writer demographics

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

Freelance Medical WriterStaff Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 28.5% Female, 71.5%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between freelance medical writer and staff 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).

Staff writer example 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.
  • Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
  • Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.
  • Show more

Freelance medical writer vs staff 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 staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%

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