How to hire a science writer

How to hire a science writer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step science writer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a science writer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new science writer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a science writer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your science writer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a science writer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a science writer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a science writer that fits the bill.

   This list presents science writer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Science Writer	Description	Hourly rate
   Science Writer	Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels.	$20-52
   Publisher	A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication... Show more	$20-57
   Editor	An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be... Show more	$16-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Biomedical
   • NIH
   • Scientific Content
   • Press Releases
   • Proofreading
   • Scientific Research
   • Chemistry
   • Web Content
   • Science Topics
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • Scientific Concepts
   • Journal Articles
   • Training Materials
   • Fact Sheets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assignments and workloads of copywriting team.
   • Manage a team of RFP writers and work with a cross-functional team to meet RFP requirements and establish deadlines.
   • Interview SMEs, revise inputs, and finalize text.
   • Convert topics to HTML for use in the customized browser.
   • Work with SMEs to revise course modules and build a glossary of terms.
   • Create clinical documentation for FDA submission and journal publication.

   More science writer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your science writer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A science writer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a science writer in Alaska may be lower than in California, and an entry-level science writer usually earns less than a senior-level science writer. Additionally, a science writer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average science writer salary

   $69,214yearly

   $33.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level science writer salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average science writer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$109,950	$53
   2	Virginia	$93,731	$45
   3	New York	$84,699	$41
   4	Arizona	$82,683	$40
   5	Massachusetts	$82,530	$40
   6	Pennsylvania	$80,022	$38
   7	Connecticut	$79,826	$38
   8	Maryland	$74,896	$36
   9	Minnesota	$73,445	$35
   10	North Carolina	$71,930	$35
   11	Washington	$71,527	$34
   12	Nevada	$66,323	$32
   13	Ohio	$66,307	$32
   14	Wisconsin	$65,934	$32
   15	Texas	$63,843	$31
   16	Florida	$63,817	$31
   17	Tennessee	$61,769	$30
   18	Missouri	$61,412	$30
   19	South Carolina	$58,591	$28
   20	Idaho	$51,739	$25

   Average science writer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Fred Hutch	$92,493	$44.47
   2	Booz Allen Hamilton	$88,092	$42.35	4
   3	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$85,730	$41.22	3
   4	Altarum	$84,599	$40.67
   5	Bio-Techne	$79,840	$38.38
   6	National Academy of Sciences	$79,647	$38.29
   7	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$79,384	$38.17
   8	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$78,720	$37.85	8
   9	Stanford University	$76,001	$36.54	12
   10	Eurofins	$75,502	$36.30
   11	Mount Sinai Health System	$74,130	$35.64	3
   12	Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station - State Headquarters	$73,649	$35.41
   13	Idaho National Lab	$73,189	$35.19
   14	Children's Hospital Colorado	$72,611	$34.91
   15	Geneva Foundation	$72,000	$34.62
   16	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$71,968	$34.60	7
   17	Yale University	$71,947	$34.59	2
   18	Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory	$71,511	$34.38
   19	The Rockefeller University	$70,554	$33.92
   20	Atrium Health Floyd	$69,222	$33.28

4. Writing a science writer job description

   A science writer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a science writer job description:

   Science writer job description example

   The Fischer lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute seeks a Scientific Writer and Communicator to assist the PI and members of the laboratory in writing and editing grant applications, manuscripts and other written material so as to effectively communicate the research arc of the team to professional and lay audiences. The candidate will work closely with the PI and the lab leadership team to support excellence in scientific communication and to help provide training to trainees and lab members on written scientific communication.
   
   The successful candidate will work with the PI, research staff and/or grant managers on diverse writing projects. In bringing these projects to fruition, responsibilities of the successful candidate will include reading background information, federal and foundation sponsor guidelines, request for proposal (RFP) language and internal or external policies/procedures for a specific writing assignment. In this capacity the writer may meet with faculty and research staff, conduct follow-up phone conversations, and be self-motivated to do any other necessary information gathering to develop a final product.
   
   The scientific writer/communicator will be an integral part of our team. This individual will be expected to participate in lab meetings and pro-actively work with members of the lab to maintain an understanding of our science. The science writer/editor would play a key role in effectively communicating the work of the lab and serve as a link between dedicated researchers and donors/granting agencies. The successful candidate should be able to take complex information and communicate it clearly, concisely, and accurately to explain key concepts to sponsors and the public, thereby helping the lab to articulate the challenges in basic and translational research that the lab's work addresses. In collaboration with the PI, lab leadership and the Content and Creative Services team within the DFCI Communications Department, the science writer/editor will also work to promote broader awareness of the lab's mission via updates and messaging to internal and external audiences using established communication channels such as DFCI news formats or social media channels.
   
   This position is 2-3 days remote. Only applicants living in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New Hampshire at the time of employment will be considered.
   
   Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.
   
   In close coordination with the PI, work on grants and reports for external sponsors and funding agencies.
   
   Assist PI, staff and trainees with writing and editing of papers, grants, fellowship applications and reports.
   
   In close coordination with the PI work on internal and external communication to promote broader awareness of the research.
   Serve as liaison between PI or lab staff and the DFCI communications department as needed. Engage in training and education of lab members in all aspects of written scientific communications. Work effectively towards specific timeline and deadlines related to each writing project. Bachelor's degree required in a field of biology or chemical biology. Master's/Ph.D. preferred Minimum of 5 years of communications or editorial experience, preferably in a science-related field, with at least 3 of those years dedicated to science writing and editing. A minor in communications or English would strengthen one's candidacy. The candidate must be able to express ideas clearly and logically and should love to write Curiosity, a broad range of knowledge, and perseverance are necessary. A proven ability to work both collaboratively and independently, and produce high-quality work on a defined timeline is required. The candidate must be comfortable managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a calm professionalism. Experience writing or editing manuscripts and NIH-style grant applications preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Endnote. Ability to work closely and effectively with all levels of staff. High ethical standards and a sense of collegiality. At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply. #LI-SJ1

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find science writers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   To find science writer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with science writer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new science writer

   Once you've found the science writer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a science writer?