How To Become A Research Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a research writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Mark Lounibos,

Shane Tilton Ph.D.

In general, a research writer is a person skilled in gathering, organizing, analyzing, and presenting pieces of information. A research writer can take difficult knowledge and translate it into simple terms.

As a research writer, you must understand how to do in-depth research as well as how to create and maintain databases. Research writers are also known as technical writers. You can be required to write on a variety of subjects, the majority of which are technical or scientific. To execute strategic research and content development initiatives, you must collaborate with a wide range of clients who specialize in web content.

To become a research writer, you must learn the fundamentals of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Most clients look for candidates with a bachelor's degree in arts. Some prefer writers who have studied or majored in English, journalism, or communications. The average salary for a research writer is $52,373 per year. That works out to $25.18 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a research writer?

Mark Lounibos

Associate Professor, English, Finlandia University

Don't panic. This is a disorienting, disruptive time for everyone. Graduates with English degrees are actually in a strong position to leverage their skills and training across a range of careers. Their facility with language, communication, and critical thinking is ideally suited to the online, remote workplace. The key is to be as prepared and open to working in that kind of setting.

ScoreResearch WriterUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,741

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 8.58%

Black or African American 6.45%

Hispanic or Latino 7.64%

Unknown 4.95%

White 72.03%

Gender

female 58.58%

male 41.42%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a research writer

Explore research writer education requirements

Most common research writer degrees

Bachelor's

71.3 %

Master's

17.8 %

Doctorate

4.8 %

Start to develop specific research writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Research Topics	14.55%
Press Releases	13.17%
Editorials	8.35%
Web Content	6.34%
Conduct Research	5.97%

Complete relevant research writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a research writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research writer resumes.

Research research writer duties and responsibilities

Manage the proposal lifecycle, including RFP analysis, regular communications, proposal development and production consistent with branding strategies.
Upload content and photos on Wordpress and create SEO meta descriptions.
Recognize by audience as thought leader in NFL coverage and commentary.
Assist the editor-in-chief with expanding the team of contributing writers to attract readers.

Prepare your research writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a research writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable research writer resume templates

Build a professional research writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your research writer resume.