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The differences between medical writers and senior technical 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 medical writer and a senior technical writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $70,820 average annual salary of a senior technical writer.
The top three skills for a medical writer include medical writing, patients and clinical research. The most important skills for a senior technical writer are technical documentation, subject matter experts, and API.
| Medical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,842 | $70,820 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $34.05 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 59,516 | 80,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A senior technical writer's role is to oversee the progress within a team or department, ensuring quality and timeliness. It is their responsibility to delegate tasks, set deadlines, carry out corrective measures on any issues, and implement the company's regulations and policies. There are also instances when they participate in producing written content, even editing and reviewing materials of the staff. As someone with more experience, a senior technical writer must encourage and lead fellow writers, shaping them into valuable assets.
Medical writers and senior technical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average salary | $93,842 | $70,820 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $137,000 | Between $54,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Biogen | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a medical writer and a senior technical writer in terms of educational background:
| Medical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Biology | English |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Houston |
Here are the differences between medical writers' and senior technical writers' demographics:
| Medical Writer | Senior Technical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% |
| 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, 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% |