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The differences between medical writers and staff 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 staff writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a medical writer include medical writing, patients and clinical research. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Medical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,842 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 59,516 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
Medical writers and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $93,842 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $137,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Biogen | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a medical writer and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Medical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Biology | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between medical writers' and staff writers' demographics:
| Medical Writer | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |