What is a Research Writer?

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 Does a Research Writer Do

There are certain skills that many research writers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed detail oriented, imagination and teamwork.

Learn more about what a Research Writer does

How To Become a Research Writer

If you're interested in becoming a research writer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 71.3% of research writers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 17.8% of research writers have master's degrees. Even though most research writers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Top Research Writer Jobs Near You

Research Writer Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a research writer can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as writer and editor, progress to a title such as consultant and then eventually end up with the title marketing communications manager.

Research Writer

Average Salary for a Research Writer

Research Writers in America make an average salary of $50,741 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $80,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $32,000 per year.
Average Research Writer Salary
$50,741 Yearly
$24.39 hourly
See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

Roles and Types of Research Writer

There are several types of research writer, including:

Editor

Role:

Not a lot of people enjoy writing. So what's the opposite of writing? Editing. If you don't enjoy writing, maybe you will enjoy editing other people's mistakes. Maybe that red pen will become your best friend.

Essentially editors plan, review and revise content before it is released for publication. While most editors work in an office, there are a lot of remote opportunities for editors so maybe you could make your couch your home office.

  • Average Salary: $52,107
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Technical Writer

Role:

Technical writers have a specific area that they are very knowledgable about. And that means they're desperately sought after by companies. Not only are technical writers knowledgable about a certain subject, but they're able to write clearly about it, too. Talk about being talented.

A lot of the time, you'll review documents that may prove difficult to digest, due to technical terminology. However, with your expertise you should be able to figure it out in no time. And then, of course, write about it in a way that's digestable for the public.

Technical writing is a great job, due to how many jobs there are out there. You could be a technical writer for anything from an auto shop to the medical industry. Plus, the career is growing every day. You should see where technical writing can take you. We'll bet it'll surprise you.

  • Average Salary: $65,329
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Reporter

Role:

It is the reporter's responsibility to put across honest and trustworthy information to the public viewers or listeners as the case may be through different means like print and media. As a reporter, you must make certain that you gather essential and veritable data that is validated by interviews and remarks of those concerned and provides succinct and extensively illuminating materials within a designated time.

You must also effectively collaborate with every worker, remain proficient at all times, and obey the policies and regulations laid by the organization or network. You are also required to modify and review press releases and presentations and check many copies.

As a reporter, you must have good communication, research, problem-solving, and creative skills. You should also possess great attention to detail and digital literacy. Asides from this, you must have a bachelor's degree, although a master's degree can be used as an alternative. A reporter in the United States earns an average yearly salary of $41,720 or $20.06 per hour.

  • Average Salary: $46,667
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
View More

States With The Most Research Writer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active research writer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where research writers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Research Writer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California4,730$60,043
2Texas1,925$48,125
3Florida1,552$44,862
4Pennsylvania1,480$60,196
5Illinois1,275$56,073
6Virginia1,157$73,215
7New Jersey1,033$63,788
8North Carolina944$56,291
9Ohio920$54,037
10Georgia865$50,205
11Michigan835$62,600
12New York773$59,023
13Minnesota772$53,331
14Oregon714$54,000
15Colorado700$51,462
16Missouri636$48,413
17Tennessee606$45,690
18Arizona581$59,709
19Indiana545$42,974
20Wisconsin472$52,287
21Utah377$45,815
22Massachusetts349$65,375
23Connecticut343$64,804
24Maryland325$70,555
25Oklahoma254$41,547
26Nebraska242$44,331
27South Carolina236$42,979
28Iowa232$44,599
29Kansas229$45,905
30Washington220$54,920
31New Mexico220$42,389
32Kentucky215$43,738
33New Hampshire206$62,211
34Alabama194$43,014
35Louisiana187$43,877
36Nevada176$48,248
37Rhode Island174$57,244
38Arkansas160$43,199
39Idaho141$43,519
40West Virginia133$46,875
41Delaware131$57,004
42Mississippi129$39,866
43Maine122$48,578
44Vermont119$61,856
45Montana117$50,829
46South Dakota108$45,362
47Wyoming82$53,561
48Hawaii81$42,743
49North Dakota78$59,819
50Alaska30$49,759

Research Writer Education

Research Writer Majors

English
15.9 %
Journalism
10.0 %
Political Science
9.5 %

Research Writer Degrees

Bachelors

71.3 %

Masters

17.8 %

Doctorate

4.8 %

Top Colleges for Research Writers

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

Top Skills For a Research Writer

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 14.5% of research writers listed research topics on their resume, but soft skills such as detail oriented and imagination are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Research Writer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Research Writer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Research Writer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume
Research Writer Resume

Research Writer diversity

Research Writer Gender Distribution

Female
Female
59%
Male
Male
41%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among research writers, 58.6% of them are women, while 41.4% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among research writers is White, which makes up 72.0% of all research writers.

  • The most common foreign language among research writers is Spanish at 32.7%.

Online Courses For Research Writer That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Market Research

coursera

"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...

2. Market Research

coursera

The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...

3. Advanced SEO Keyword Research - Creative Keyword Research

udemy
4.4
(258)

Rank #1 in search with savvy SEO keyword research strategies using the Google Keyword Planner to boost website traffic...

Show More Online Courses For Research Writer
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary

Best States For a Research Writer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a research writer. The best states for people in this position are Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Research writers make the most in Virginia with an average salary of $73,215. Whereas in Maryland and Massachusetts, they would average $70,555 and $65,375, respectively. While research writers would only make an average of $64,804 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. District of Columbia

Total Research Writer Jobs: 202
Highest 10% Earn:
$147,000
Location Quotient:
1.21

$87,715

Avg. Salary

View 202 Research Writer Jobs In DC

2. Virginia

Total Research Writer Jobs: 1,157
Highest 10% Earn:
$124,000
Location Quotient:
1.24

$73,215

Avg. Salary

View 1,157 Research Writer Jobs In VA

3. Vermont

Total Research Writer Jobs: 119
Highest 10% Earn:
$96,000
Location Quotient:
1.56

$61,856

Avg. Salary

View 119 Research Writer Jobs In VT
Full List Of Best States For Research Writers

How Do Research Writers Rate Their Jobs?

4.5/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Research Writer Reviews

5.0
Jun 2020
Pros

Research on Future computers , countries , foods , culture , doctors and singers.

Cons

Research on medicines , school work , colleges and etc

4.0
Jan 2020
Pros

It offers a less stressful environment to work with and it broadens the knowledge.

Cons

It gets boring when you are doing it long enough.

Working as a Research Writer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Top Research Writer Employers

Most Common Employers For Research Writer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Microsoft$116,051$55.793
2Cengage Learning$92,138$44.303
3ESPN$70,003$33.666
4National Science Foundation$65,941$31.703
5Independent Contractor$60,410$29.043
6National Park Foundation$58,561$28.153
7Columbia University in the City of New York$57,850$27.813
8*n/a*$55,832$26.843
9WarnerMedia$55,759$26.814
10University of California Press$55,516$26.697
Show More

Research Writer Videos

Judy Reeves on Taking Pen in HandHow to be a Writer Who Writes
Writing Career Advice : How to Become a Freelance Writer
A Day in the Life of Our Writing Workshop

Research Writer Related Careers

Research Writer Related Jobs

What Similar Roles Do

Resume For Related Jobs

Updated April 6, 2023