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The differences between medical writers and senior 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 writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $80,145 average annual salary of a senior writer.
The top three skills for a medical writer include medical writing, patients and clinical research. The most important skills for a senior writer are project management, web content, and wordpress.
| Medical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,842 | $80,145 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $38.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 59,516 | 15,995 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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 writer is responsible for assisting junior writers in creating compositions and digital content according to business functions and client needs. A senior writer should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as well as extensive knowledge of composition structures and developing engaging pieces to attract the target audience and potential clients, driving resources for revenue and profits. They also coordinate with clients on any adjustments and instructions to support their goals and objectives.
Medical writers and senior writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average salary | $93,842 | $80,145 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $137,000 | Between $54,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Biogen | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a medical writer and a senior writer in terms of educational background:
| Medical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Biology | English |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between medical writers' and senior writers' demographics:
| Medical Writer | Senior Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| 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, 6.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |