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The differences between medical writers and editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical writer, becoming an editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $52,107 average annual salary of an editor.
The top three skills for a medical writer include medical writing, patients and clinical research. The most important skills for an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| Medical Writer | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $93,842 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,516 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.
Medical writers and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Writer | Editor | |
| Average salary | $93,842 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $137,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New York |
| Best paying company | Biogen | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a medical writer and an editor in terms of educational background:
| Medical Writer | Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Biology | English |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between medical writers' and editors' demographics:
| Medical Writer | Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |