Magazine writer vs medical writer

The differences between magazine writers and medical 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 magazine writer and a medical writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $54,951 average annual salary of a magazine writer.

The top three skills for a magazine writer include photo shoots, writing articles and feature stories. The most important skills for a medical writer are medical writing, patients, and clinical research.

Magazine writer vs medical writer overview

	Magazine Writer	Medical Writer
Yearly salary	$54,951	$93,842
Hourly rate	$26.42	$45.12
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	10,204	59,516
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Magazine writer vs medical writer salary

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

	Magazine Writer	Medical Writer
Average salary	$54,951	$93,842
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $90,000	Between $63,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	Biogen
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between magazine writer and medical writer education

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

	Magazine Writer	Medical Writer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Journalism	Biology
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of Southern California

Magazine writer vs medical writer demographics

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

	Magazine Writer	Medical Writer
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%	Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between magazine writer and medical writer duties and responsibilities

Magazine writer example responsibilities.

Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
Pitch, write and photograph audience-aligned content, which are centered on the European-American luxury lifestyle in the greater Chicago area
Work with Microsoft programs, quark, and cash register.

Medical writer example responsibilities.

Develop network of science contacts at NASA to inform stories and generate new leads.
Manage, and assist in the recruiting activities of, CRO resources preparing regulatory documents on behalf of APGD.
Create and maintain account profiles for contributors, including writing of biographies, gathering headshots, and creating and managing accounts.
Create manuscripts, abstracts, and PowerPoint slide decks for a prominent pharmaceutical client.
Prepare CSRs, IB updates, protocols, protocol amendments, and statistical analysis plans.
Draft scientific content for abstracts, posters, manuscripts, and slide presentations (CNS )

Magazine writer vs medical writer skills

Common magazine writer skills

Photo Shoots, 18%
Writing Articles, 15%
Feature Stories, 11%
Alumni, 11%
Indesign, 9%
News Articles, 8%

Common medical writer skills

Medical Writing, 11%
Patients, 8%
Clinical Research, 6%
Clinical Study Reports, 6%
Literature Searches, 5%
FDA, 5%

Magazine Writer vs. similar jobs

Magazine Writer related careers

Magazine Writer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Magazine Writer
Magazine Writer vs Medical Writer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs