How to hire a medical writer

How to hire a medical writer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical writer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical writer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical writer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a medical writer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your medical writer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a medical writer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A medical writer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, medical writers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents medical writer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Medical Writer	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Writer	Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels.	$30-65
   Publisher	A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication... Show more	$20-57
   Managing Editor	Managing editors are individuals who coordinate and oversee the editorial activities of a publication. They administer the daily operations or a website or publication, such as generating ideas and planning and editing content... Show more	$28-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Medical Writing
   • Patients
   • Clinical Research
   • Clinical Study Reports
   • Literature Searches
   • FDA
   • PowerPoint
   • ICH
   • Project Management
   • Oncology
   • Pharmaceutical Industry
   • Healthcare Professionals
   • GCP
   • Investigator Brochures

   Check all skills

   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 )

   More medical writer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical writer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A medical writer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, medical writers' average salary in indiana is 50% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical writers earn 54% less than senior-level medical writers.
   • Certifications. A medical writer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a medical writer's salary.

   Average medical writer salary

   $93,842yearly

   $45.12 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level medical writer salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average medical writer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$129,546	$62
   2	Virginia	$110,543	$53
   3	California	$109,996	$53
   4	Arizona	$109,155	$52
   5	Massachusetts	$96,975	$47
   6	New Jersey	$95,247	$46
   7	Maryland	$94,806	$46
   8	Connecticut	$94,098	$45
   9	North Carolina	$86,818	$42
   10	New York	$86,552	$42
   11	Oregon	$85,784	$41
   12	Pennsylvania	$85,511	$41
   13	Alaska	$85,307	$41
   14	North Dakota	$85,032	$41
   15	Minnesota	$84,473	$41
   16	Florida	$84,392	$41
   17	Rhode Island	$83,902	$40
   18	Delaware	$83,342	$40
   19	Louisiana	$82,268	$40
   20	Illinois	$82,111	$39

   Average medical writer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Biogen	$122,129	$58.72	4
   2	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$119,553	$57.48
   3	Analysis Group	$115,523	$55.54
   4	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$113,553	$54.59	2
   5	Regeneron	$113,366	$54.50	3
   6	Allergan plc	$113,034	$54.34	1
   7	Merck	$112,166	$53.93	1
   8	AstraZeneca	$112,161	$53.92	4
   9	Edwards Lifesciences	$111,232	$53.48	50
   10	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$103,775	$49.89	17
   11	CAMRIS International, Inc.	$102,615	$49.33
   12	Masimo	$100,494	$48.31
   13	Baxter International	$100,388	$48.26
   14	Johnson & Johnson	$99,878	$48.02	22
   15	Seagen	$98,735	$47.47
   16	KnowledgePoint360 Group LLC	$98,472	$47.34
   17	Quest Diagnostics	$97,475	$46.86	23
   18	MedThink	$97,342	$46.80
   19	BD	$96,972	$46.62	2
   20	Integrated Resources	$96,575	$46.43	60

4. Writing a medical writer job description

   A job description for a medical writer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a medical writer job description:

   Medical writer job description example

   RQM+ is the largest medical device and diagnostics focused full-service regulatory and quality consulting firm in the world. We accelerate the success of medical device, IVD, and combination product companies by providing industry-leading regulatory and quality consulting solutions. We exist to promote economic growth through regional partnerships, provide a rewarding place to work, and improve our communities.
   
   With over 500 team members globally, providing world-class consulting services in a remote capacity is nothing new for RQM+. We are dedicated to the highest levels of client service and employee satisfaction delivered with empathy, integrity, individual pride and company spirit.
   
   We are seeking regulatory scientists/medical writers to support the development and creation of Clinical, Scientific, and Regulatory documents in accordance with procedures, European Medical Device Regulation, and US FDA requirements. This includes, conducting literature reviews, assisting and writing Clinical Evaluation Reports, analysis of product complaints and trends, collecting and analysing feedback from various sources to support the CER.
   *PhD post doc candidates are encouraged to apply.
   
   Responsibilities Preparing, writing, editing, and reviewing regulatory (e.g. Clinical Evaluation Reports (CERs), clinical data reports or summaries) documents. Performing literature reviews for specific medical devices. Strong medical and technical writing skills. Knowledge and understanding of proposed and current global regulations and guidance and the ability to relay the impact of such regulations and guidance internally and with our clients. Ensures documents are produced in accordance with procedures, internal and external guidelines (e.g. MEDDEV 2.7.1 Rev. 4). Knowledge of clinical research and regulatory requirements.
   Requirements2+ years of experience within the medical device industry and knowledge of clinical evaluation report regulatory requirements, evidence generation, and CER document creation.Or 3 - 5 year's industry experience in medical writing in the healthcare industry or academia or in a related area such as quality, regulatory, clinical research, or product support. Experience with FDA and international regulations, requirements and guidance associated with clinical regulatory document preparations, submissions and reporting preferred.Action-Oriented, Approachability, Building Effective Teams, Business Acumen, Career Ambition, Composure, Courage (Managerial), Customer Focus, Decision Quality, Informing, Integrity & Trust, Interpersonal Savvy, Planning.
   
   Being an industry leader in client support is just the beginning for RQM+. Providing a rewarding place to work is rooted deep in the core values of RQM+. From an industry leading compensation package to a deeply engrained focus on work life balance, RQM+ applies the “and means more” approach to employment. At RQM+, you are not just another employee, you are a member of the RQM+ family. Make your impact today!
   
   We invite you to submit an application if you have an interest in learning more about our organization and beginning your journey as a consultant with us.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find medical writers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any medical writers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level medical writers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical writer job on Zippia to find and attract quality medical writer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with medical writer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical writer

   Once you've found the medical writer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new medical writer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a medical writer?