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Medical writer salary
Average medical writer salary
$93,842
Exploring Medical Writer Salaries
As of October 2025, medical writers earn an average salary of $93,842 annually, which translates to about $45 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry within healthcare. Entry-level positions typically start lower, around $65,000 per year, while senior writers with extensive experience may earn upwards of $120,000.
Salary Variances by Experience
Entry-level medical writers, often with less than two years of experience, have starting salaries generally in the range of $65,000 to $75,000. Mid-career professionals typically see salaries rise to between $85,000 and $100,000, while those in senior roles can command $100,000 to $120,000 depending on their expertise.
Regional Salary Differences
Geographically, salaries differ significantly. States like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled writers. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may present lower salary averages, making it essential for job seekers to consider both salary and location when evaluating potential opportunities.
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Where can a Medical Writer earn more?
Medical writer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level medical writer | $63,700 | $30.61 |
| Mid-level medical writer | $101,000 | $48.78 |
| Senior-level medical writer | $139,000 | $66.96 |
Medical writer salary estimates from across the web
Average medical writer salary by state
The highest-paying states for medical writers are Virginia, Arizona, and California. The lowest average medical writer salary states are Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for medical writers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $129,452 | $62.24 |
| 2 | Virginia | $110,658 | $53.20 |
| 3 | California | $106,026 | $50.97 |
| 4 | Nevada | $87,064 | $41.86 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $96,933 | $46.60 |
| 6 | Arizona | $108,945 | $52.38 |
| 7 | Vermont | $92,574 | $44.51 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $95,159 | $45.75 |
| 9 | Maryland | $94,612 | $45.49 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $92,542 | $44.49 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $94,068 | $45.23 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $81,666 | $39.26 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $84,490 | $40.62 |
| 14 | Michigan | $90,860 | $43.68 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $85,629 | $41.17 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $85,894 | $41.30 |
| 17 | Oregon | $85,827 | $41.26 |
| 18 | Alaska | $86,941 | $41.80 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $85,045 | $40.89 |
| 20 | Illinois | $81,768 | $39.31 |
| 21 | Washington | $87,154 | $41.90 |
| 22 | New York | $86,371 | $41.52 |
| 23 | Delaware | $83,220 | $40.01 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $83,861 | $40.32 |
| 25 | Florida | $85,308 | $41.01 |
| 26 | Georgia | $78,779 | $37.87 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $75,987 | $36.53 |
| 28 | Ohio | $80,638 | $38.77 |
| 29 | Missouri | $75,954 | $36.52 |
| 30 | Colorado | $81,984 | $39.42 |
| 31 | Alabama | $74,495 | $35.81 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $81,712 | $39.28 |
| 33 | Kansas | $72,344 | $34.78 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $70,955 | $34.11 |
| 35 | Texas | $77,963 | $37.48 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $80,308 | $38.61 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $76,316 | $36.69 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $75,001 | $36.06 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $71,086 | $34.18 |
| 40 | Utah | $72,923 | $35.06 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $67,411 | $32.41 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $69,210 | $33.27 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $70,043 | $33.67 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $73,913 | $35.54 |
| 45 | Idaho | $65,950 | $31.71 |
| 46 | Montana | $73,914 | $35.54 |
| 47 | Maine | $72,929 | $35.06 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $68,340 | $32.86 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $66,271 | $31.86 |
| 50 | Iowa | $66,502 | $31.97 |
| 51 | Indiana | $65,291 | $31.39 |
Highest paying cities for medical writers
The highest-paying cities for medical writers are Washington, DC, Richmond, VA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $129,546 | $62.28 |
| 2 | Richmond, VA | $110,543 | $53.15 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $109,996 | $52.88 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $109,155 | $52.48 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $96,975 | $46.62 |
| 6 | Hamilton, NJ | $95,247 | $45.79 |
| 7 | Annapolis, MD | $94,806 | $45.58 |
| 8 | Hartford, CT | $94,098 | $45.24 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $86,818 | $41.74 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $86,552 | $41.61 |
| 11 | Salem, OR | $85,784 | $41.24 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,511 | $41.11 |
| 13 | Juneau, AK | $85,307 | $41.01 |
| 14 | Bismarck, ND | $85,032 | $40.88 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $84,473 | $40.61 |
| 16 | Tallahassee, FL | $84,392 | $40.57 |
| 17 | Providence, RI | $83,902 | $40.34 |
| 18 | Dover, DE | $83,342 | $40.07 |
| 19 | Baton Rouge, LA | $82,268 | $39.55 |
| 20 | North Chicago, IL | $82,111 | $39.48 |
Medical Writers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Medical writer salary details
A medical writer's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $137,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a medical writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $137,000 | $11,417 | $66 |
| 75th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| Average | $93,842 | $7,820 | $45 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
Highest paying medical writer jobs
The highest paying types of medical writers are medical science liaison, senior editor, and managing editor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Content Editor | $61,694 | $5,141 | $29.66 | 18,586 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Medical Science Liaison | $145,718 | $12,143 | $70.06 | 57,208 |
Top companies hiring medical writers now:
Which companies pay medical writers the most?
Medical writer salaries at Biogen and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average medical writer salary at companies like Analysis Group and Vertex Pharmaceuticals are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biogen | $122,129 | $58.72 |
| 2 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $119,553 | $57.48 |
| 3 | Analysis Group | $115,523 | $55.54 |
| 4 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $113,553 | $54.59 |
| 5 | Regeneron | $113,366 | $54.50 |
| 6 | Allergan plc | $113,034 | $54.34 |
| 7 | Merck | $112,166 | $53.93 |
| 8 | AstraZeneca | $112,161 | $53.92 |
| 9 | Edwards Lifesciences | $111,232 | $53.48 |
| 10 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $103,775 | $49.89 |
| 11 | CAMRIS International, Inc. | $102,615 | $49.33 |
| 12 | Masimo | $100,494 | $48.31 |
| 13 | Baxter International | $100,388 | $48.26 |
| 14 | Johnson & Johnson | $99,878 | $48.02 |
| 15 | Seagen | $98,735 | $47.47 |
| 16 | KnowledgePoint360 Group LLC | $98,472 | $47.34 |
| 17 | Quest Diagnostics | $97,475 | $46.86 |
| 18 | MedThink | $97,342 | $46.80 |
| 19 | BD | $96,972 | $46.62 |
| 20 | Integrated Resources | $96,575 | $46.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Medical writer salary trends
The average medical writer salary has risen by $12,621 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average medical writer earned $81,221 annually, but today, they earn $93,842 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for medical writers over the last decade.
Compare medical writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average medical writer salary over time
Compare medical writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Medical writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $93,800 | $45.12 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $91,600 | $44.03 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $90,300 | $43.42 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $89,200 | $42.87 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $87,800 | $42.22 | -0.6% |
Recently added medical writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HH Medstar Health Inc. | Medical Writer Associate | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $63,793 |
| Abbott Laboratories | Principal Medical Writer | Alameda, CA | 06/27/2025 | $112,000 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Richmond, VA | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Lincoln, NE | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Columbia, SC | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Salem, OR | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | San Juan, PR | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
| Cardinal Health | Medical Writer III | Hartford, CT | 06/27/2025 | $94,900 |
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