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

What is a scientific writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Bridget Carson,

Shane Tilton Ph.D.

The main duty of a Scientific Writer is to create various documents concerning science and research in terms of medical, chemical, biological, and other fields. They compose books, journals and journal articles, studies, periodicals, and other forms of written content, and they might write for other experts in these scientific fields or for everyday readers. A Scientific Writer should have a good understanding of science but also be capable of communicating the necessary information to various audiences

That said, they do not necessarily need to be an expert themselves though it is not uncommon for them to be both a writer and a scientist. A Scientific Writer often must do their own research and cite references, just as any other scientist would, and thus they must be familiar with research methods, sources, and various forms of professional formatting and citation.

A Scientific Writer needs to have a Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, or Communications, or in a scientific field. Additional education, such as a postgrad in Scientific Writing, and specialization, is usually considered a big plus, as well as previous experience writing scientific papers and content. On average, a Scientific Writer earns $49.92 an hour.

What general advice would you give to a scientific writer?

Bridget Carson

Associate Professor of Developmental English, Independence Community College

Show up. Listen and keep learning. Be a part of the broader community.

I know these seem simple, but they require time. It isn't just about the hours on the clock, although they are that for which you are paid. Go to the meet and greet. Chip into the water cooler fund. Join a softball league, a book club, or a game night. When somebody invites you to a company picnic - go. Join the volunteer opportunities in which the organization participates. Relationships need nurturing so that you can have empathy and resilience during difficult discussions within an organization or when it needs to pull together and get through something.
Our shiny new degrees are just the beginning of what we know. You'll be stepping into situations where people will need your fresh perspective, and you will need their experience. Keep reading, not just things in your content area. This isn't just a "respect your elders" or "know your place" statement. They don't know everything, and neither do you, but they've been there longer.

Be a visible part of the broader community. This is especially important if you choose to work in the Public Sector where people want to see their tax dollars pay people who are invested in their community. Go to the concerts in the park, the local community theater, the parades. Join some organization and chip in. Work the polls, join the park committee, be active in a philanthropic or faith community, show up for events celebrating local history. Support local businesses where you find them in alignment with your values.

Don't do any of this for the show. People can spot a fake-Esse quad videre: to be rather than to seem.

ScoreScientific WriterUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $99,550

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 6.44%

Hispanic or Latino 7.64%

Unknown 4.95%

White 72.04%

Gender

female 60.84%

male 39.16%

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 scientific writer

Explore scientific writer education requirements

Most common scientific writer degrees

Bachelor's

57.3 %

Master's

20.0 %

Doctorate

19.3 %

Start to develop specific scientific writer skills

Skills	Percentages
IND	10.39%
NDA	9.81%
Abstracts	7.25%
Regulatory Submissions	6.41%
Proofreading	6.18%

Complete relevant scientific writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New scientific 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 scientific writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real scientific writer resumes.

Research scientific writer duties and responsibilities

Manage, and assist in the recruiting activities of, CRO resources preparing regulatory documents on behalf of APGD.
Harmonize USP and EP methods.
Exhibit proficiency in researching, writing, editing, and proofreading.
Create internal LIMS for NIH lab using Drupal, MySQL and git version control.

Prepare your scientific writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your scientific 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 scientific 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 scientific writer resume templates

Build a professional scientific 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 scientific writer resume.