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The differences between medical editors and medical writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a medical editor, becoming a medical writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $59,482 average annual salary of a medical editor.
The top three skills for a medical editor include proofreading, style guides and FDA. The most important skills for a medical writer are medical writing, patients, and clinical research.
| Medical Editor | Medical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,482 | $93,842 |
| Hourly rate | $28.60 | $45.12 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 55,508 | 59,516 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Medical editors are professionals who are responsible for assisting medical writers by editing their scientific writings to make them clear and precise for their audience. These editors are required to review and edit articles and medical education materials to ensure that they observe quality writing style and proper grammar. They must provide copyediting and substantive editing for many scholarly medical articles. Medical editors must also edit the safety documentation on all drugs and clinical trials so that they can provide information to patients about treatment options.
As the name entails, medical writers produce technical, educational, promotional, and technical content. They typically work with physicians, scientists, and subject matter experts to produce documentation that defines product usage and research results. Their duties and responsibilities may vary, but they perform some common tasks, including developing documentation related to clinical trials, creating monographs, and developing promotional materials. Medical writers are also responsible for creating grant proposals, writing newspaper and magazine articles, and creating presentations for conferences.
Medical editors and medical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Editor | Medical Writer | |
| Average salary | $59,482 | $93,842 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $98,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | Biogen |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a medical editor and a medical writer in terms of educational background:
| Medical Editor | Medical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | English | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between medical editors' and medical writers' demographics:
| Medical Editor | Medical Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.8% Female, 78.2% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 12% | 11% |