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Scientific writer salary
Average scientific writer salary
$99,550
Average Scientific Writer Salary
The average salary for a scientific writer in the United States is $99,550 per year. Hourly, this amounts to about $48. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors including experience level, geographic location, and specific industry sectors. For instance, entry-level writers may earn significantly less, while those with several years of experience can command much higher salaries.
Salary by Experience Level
Experience plays a crucial role in salary potential. Generally, entry-level positions start around $60,000, while mid-career professionals average about $85,000. Those with over ten years of experience can potentially exceed the average, sometimes earning upwards of $120,000.
Where Can Scientific Writers Earn More?
Geographic location significantly impacts salaries. States such as California and New York offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled writers. Additionally, specialized fields, such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, often provide opportunities for higher compensation.
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Where can a Scientific Writer earn more?
Scientific writer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level scientific writer | $67,500 | $32.47 |
| Mid-level scientific writer | $108,000 | $51.75 |
| Senior-level scientific writer | $148,000 | $71.04 |
Scientific writer salary estimates from across the web
Average scientific writer salary by state
The highest-paying states for scientific writers are Virginia, Arizona, and California. The lowest average scientific writer salary states are Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for scientific writers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $137,045 | $65.89 |
| 2 | Virginia | $117,340 | $56.41 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $104,656 | $50.32 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $109,419 | $52.61 |
| 5 | California | $110,398 | $53.08 |
| 6 | Arizona | $115,911 | $55.73 |
| 7 | Vermont | $97,329 | $46.79 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $99,795 | $47.98 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $98,980 | $47.59 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $97,650 | $46.95 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $94,627 | $45.49 |
| 12 | Michigan | $97,501 | $46.88 |
| 13 | New York | $95,473 | $45.90 |
| 14 | Nevada | $91,628 | $44.05 |
| 15 | Maryland | $93,448 | $44.93 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $84,714 | $40.73 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $88,842 | $42.71 |
| 18 | Oregon | $89,459 | $43.01 |
| 19 | Alaska | $89,312 | $42.94 |
| 20 | Washington | $90,519 | $43.52 |
| 21 | Illinois | $87,955 | $42.29 |
| 22 | Delaware | $88,222 | $42.41 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $88,537 | $42.57 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $88,714 | $42.65 |
| 25 | Florida | $89,587 | $43.07 |
| 26 | Texas | $87,339 | $41.99 |
| 27 | Ohio | $86,544 | $41.61 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $86,411 | $41.54 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $81,410 | $39.14 |
| 30 | Indiana | $81,301 | $39.09 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $81,558 | $39.21 |
| 32 | Georgia | $83,086 | $39.95 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $81,150 | $39.01 |
| 34 | Colorado | $81,321 | $39.10 |
| 35 | Utah | $76,688 | $36.87 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $79,157 | $38.06 |
| 37 | Missouri | $79,433 | $38.19 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $76,053 | $36.56 |
| 39 | Alabama | $78,564 | $37.77 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,290 | $36.68 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $77,816 | $37.41 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $74,783 | $35.95 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,525 | $36.31 |
| 44 | Maine | $76,672 | $36.86 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $70,454 | $33.87 |
| 46 | Idaho | $69,122 | $33.23 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $74,258 | $35.70 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $73,453 | $35.31 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $72,164 | $34.69 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $68,957 | $33.15 |
| 51 | Iowa | $69,622 | $33.47 |
Highest paying cities for scientific writers
The highest-paying cities for scientific writers are Richmond, VA, Menlo Park, CA, and Hackensack, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, VA | $117,342 | $56.41 |
| 2 | Menlo Park, CA | $113,479 | $54.56 |
| 3 | Hackensack, NJ | $109,479 | $52.63 |
| 4 | Worcester, MA | $104,764 | $50.37 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $95,777 | $46.05 |
| 6 | Bethesda, MD | $93,362 | $44.89 |
| 7 | Reno, NV | $93,339 | $44.87 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $91,442 | $43.96 |
| 9 | Miami, FL | $89,192 | $42.88 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $88,414 | $42.51 |
| 11 | Houston, TX | $87,686 | $42.16 |
| 12 | Saint Louis, MO | $80,391 | $38.65 |
| 13 | Memphis, TN | $77,968 | $37.48 |
| 14 | Birmingham, AL | $77,890 | $37.45 |
Scientific writer salary details
A scientific writer's salary ranges from $66,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $150,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a scientific writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $150,000 | $12,500 | $72 |
| 75th Percentile | $123,000 | $10,250 | $59 |
| Average | $99,550 | $8,296 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
Highest paying scientific writer jobs
The highest paying types of scientific writers are senior editor, managing editor, and senior writer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journalist | $60,828 | $5,069 | $29.24 | 11,488 |
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Proposal Writer | $68,706 | $5,725 | $33.03 | 18,125 |
Top companies hiring scientific writers now:
Which companies pay scientific writers the most?
Scientific writer salaries at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average scientific writer salary at companies like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Fred Hutch are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $143,093 | $68.79 |
| 2 | Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky | $117,973 | $56.72 |
| 3 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $117,166 | $56.33 |
| 4 | Fred Hutch | $105,659 | $50.80 |
| 5 | FleishmanHillard | $105,550 | $50.75 |
| 6 | Parexel International | $103,994 | $50.00 |
| 7 | Medimmune | $101,417 | $48.76 |
| 8 | Charles River Labs | $96,234 | $46.27 |
| 9 | UMiami Health System | $95,759 | $46.04 |
| 10 | Houston Methodist | $94,585 | $45.47 |
| 11 | Pharmaceutical Product Development | $93,661 | $45.03 |
| 12 | UC Santa Barbara | $93,479 | $44.94 |
| 13 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $91,610 | $44.04 |
| 14 | Champions Oncology | $90,868 | $43.69 |
| 15 | City of Hope | $90,860 | $43.68 |
| 16 | Henry M. Jackson Foundation | $89,193 | $42.88 |
| 17 | Charles River Center | $83,246 | $40.02 |
| 18 | University of Massachusetts Medical School | $82,524 | $39.67 |
| 19 | Globus Medical | $80,503 | $38.70 |
| 20 | University of Washington | $78,411 | $37.70 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Scientific writer salary trends
The average scientific writer salary has risen by $13,389 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average scientific writer earned $86,161 annually, but today, they earn $99,550 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for scientific writers over the last decade.
Compare scientific writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average scientific writer salary over time
Compare scientific writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Scientific writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $99,500 | $47.86 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $97,100 | $46.71 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $95,800 | $46.07 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $94,600 | $45.48 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $93,100 | $44.78 | -0.6% |
Recently added scientific writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Scientific Writer | Chicago, IL | 05/27/2025 | $72,000 |
| The University of Chicago | Scientific Writer | Chicago, IL | 04/29/2025 | $72,000 |
| Kelly Services | Scientific Copywriter | San Diego, CA | 04/25/2025 | $56,349 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Senior Scientific Writer-Massey | Richmond, VA | 04/19/2025 | $81,400 |
| The University of Chicago | Scientific Writer | Chicago, IL | 03/28/2025 | $72,000 |
| Spark NS | Scientific Writer & Editor | Menlo Park, CA | 03/24/2025 | $107,000 |
| The Jackson Laboratory | Senior Scientific Writer | Bar Harbor, ME | 03/04/2025 | $74,772 |
| The University of Chicago | Scientific Writer | Chicago, IL | 02/27/2025 | $72,000 |
| Pitt | Scientific Writer | Pittsburgh, PA | 02/17/2025 | $53,617 |
| Sauge Ai | Scientific Writer | Lebanon, PA | 02/17/2025 | $61,500 |
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