Freelance medical writer vs writer

The differences between freelance medical writers and writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a freelance medical writer, becoming a writer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a freelance medical writer has an average salary of $96,709, which is higher than the $66,143 average annual salary of a writer.

The top three skills for a freelance medical writer include literature reviews, medical communications and medical writing. The most important skills for a writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.

Freelance medical writer vs writer overview

	Freelance Medical Writer	Writer
Yearly salary	$96,709	$66,143
Hourly rate	$46.49	$31.80
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	59,672	13,931
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	2	4

Freelance medical writer vs writer salary

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

	Freelance Medical Writer	Writer
Average salary	$96,709	$66,143
Salary range	Between $65,000 And $142,000	Between $40,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between freelance medical writer and writer education

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

	Freelance Medical Writer	Writer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Biology	English
Most common college	University of Southern California	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Freelance medical writer vs writer demographics

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

	Freelance Medical Writer	Writer
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 28.5% Female, 71.5%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
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, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	16%

Differences between freelance medical writer and 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).

Writer example responsibilities.

Operate AP NEWSCENTER/ENPS and manage CNN feed services.
Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
Participate in roundtable discussions offering hot takes and opinions on NBA and NFL teams, players, and coaches.
Train all staff on using the CMS.
Place stories into CS3 InDesign pages.

Freelance medical writer vs 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 writer skills

Work Ethic, 18%
Customer Service, 14%
Web Content, 8%
Math, 7%
SEO, 5%
SQL, 3%

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Freelance Medical Writer
Freelance Medical Writer vs Writer

Updated January 8, 2025

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