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The differences between senior medical writers and content editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior medical writer, becoming a content editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior medical writer has an average salary of $99,453, which is higher than the $61,694 average annual salary of a content editor.
The top three skills for a senior medical writer include medical writing, clinical data and clinical study reports. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.
| Senior Medical Writer | Content Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $99,453 | $61,694 |
| Hourly rate | $47.81 | $29.66 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,478 | 18,586 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A Senior Medical Writer is responsible for writing comprehensive medical texts and composition for various audiences according to required themes and subjects. Senior Medical Writers maintain the accuracy and authenticity of all information by coordinating with medical professionals and other related parties to gather data. They also study recent trends and innovations within the medical industry and share findings with the clients for further study. A Senior Medical Writer must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in training junior writers and setting recommendations for high-quality publications.
A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.
Senior medical writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Medical Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average salary | $99,453 | $61,694 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $157,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Biogen | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior medical writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Medical Writer | Content Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Nursing | English |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior medical writers' and content editors' demographics:
| Senior Medical Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |