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The differences between script writers and medical 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 script writer and a medical writer. Additionally, a medical writer has an average salary of $93,842, which is higher than the $64,254 average annual salary of a script writer.
The top three skills for a script writer include test cases, test scripts and database. The most important skills for a medical writer are medical writing, patients, and clinical research.
| Script Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,254 | $93,842 |
| Hourly rate | $30.89 | $45.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 15,222 | 59,516 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Scriptwriting is an art and craft that requires both imagination and creativity to create entertaining content and tell a story in both dialogue and picture. The script can be educational, training, film, television programs, or entertainment. The duties and responsibilities include creating characters and coming up with skeleton plots for the producer to direct the narrative and determine the outcome of events.
As the name entails, medical writers produce technical, educational, promotional, and technical content. They typically work with physicians, scientists, and subject matter experts to produce documentation that defines product usage and research results. Their duties and responsibilities may vary, but they perform some common tasks, including developing documentation related to clinical trials, creating monographs, and developing promotional materials. Medical writers are also responsible for creating grant proposals, writing newspaper and magazine articles, and creating presentations for conferences.
Script writers and medical writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Script Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average salary | $64,254 | $93,842 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $106,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Snap | Biogen |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a script writer and a medical writer in terms of educational background:
| Script Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Communication | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between script writers' and medical writers' demographics:
| Script Writer | Medical Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 11% | 11% |