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Scientific writer vs proposal writer

The differences between scientific writers and proposal writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a scientific writer and a proposal writer. Additionally, a scientific writer has an average salary of $99,550, which is higher than the $68,706 average annual salary of a proposal writer.

The top three skills for a scientific writer include IND, NDA and abstracts. The most important skills for a proposal writer are subject matter experts, powerpoint, and business development.

Scientific writer vs proposal writer overview

Scientific WriterProposal Writer
Yearly salary$99,550$68,706
Hourly rate$47.86$33.03
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs15,96018,125
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

What does a scientific writer do?

Scientific writers are professionals who are responsible for conducting research and writing articles that are related to scientific topics for many different kinds of publications and scientific journals. These writers are required to conduct interviews with scientists and other important people to ensure accurate information about the essays they are writing. They must adapt and comply with in-house style guides as well as perform copy-editing and proofreading duties. Scientific writers must also build up a network of contacts with other professionals in the industry such as press officers, PR executives, and researchers.

What does a proposal writer do?

Proposal Writers help clients win contracts, grants from the government, or even permission to perform a consulting service. They must ensure that all important information is included in the paperwork and documents.

Scientific writer vs proposal writer salary

Scientific writers and proposal writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Scientific WriterProposal Writer
Average salary$99,550$68,706
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $150,000Between $48,000 And $97,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, VAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateVirginiaVirginia
Best paying companyMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterPrecise Software Solutions
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalInsurance

Differences between scientific writer and proposal writer education

There are a few differences between a scientific writer and a proposal writer in terms of educational background:

Scientific WriterProposal Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorBiologyEnglish
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborNorthwestern University

Scientific writer vs proposal writer demographics

Here are the differences between scientific writers' and proposal writers' demographics:

Scientific WriterProposal Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 39.2% Female, 60.8%Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between scientific writer and proposal writer duties and responsibilities

Scientific writer example 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.
  • Organize and consolidate information into standard report formats, preparing and proofreading correspondence and documents in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
  • Use APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, AMA, and in-house style guides for error-free documents.
  • Show more

Proposal writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage proposals for DoD, aerospace, and commercial customers.
  • Manage prospective client information, proposal and marketing strategies through Salesforce.
  • Analyze contract documents, coordinate subcontractors and manage RFI s throughout cost proposal submission process.
  • Identify, plan, manage and respond to RFPs and RFIs from prospective clients, resulting in increase potential business.
  • Implement Salesforce for division and manage pipeline and post-award contract documentation.
  • Manage SharePoint file organization system and wiki cooperation sites to facilitate cooperation among internal and external proposal response participants.
  • Show more

Scientific writer vs proposal writer skills

Common scientific writer skills
  • IND, 10%
  • NDA, 10%
  • Abstracts, 7%
  • Regulatory Submissions, 6%
  • Proofreading, 6%
  • Clinical Study Reports, 6%
Common proposal writer skills
  • Subject Matter Experts, 12%
  • PowerPoint, 7%
  • Business Development, 6%
  • Proposal Content, 6%
  • Past Performance, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%

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