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The differences between senior medical writers and contributing 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 senior medical writer and a contributing writer. Additionally, a senior medical writer has an average salary of $99,453, which is higher than the $51,372 average annual salary of a contributing writer.
The top three skills for a senior medical writer include medical writing, clinical data and clinical study reports. The most important skills for a contributing writer are lifestyle, web content, and SEO.
| Senior Medical Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,453 | $51,372 |
| Hourly rate | $47.81 | $24.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 59,478 | 10,292 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 contributing writer is responsible for contributing content to a publication or a specific client, typically on a freelance basis. Contributing writers must have a strong command of their language and extensive understanding of the topics assigned to them. They should be keen on details, perfecting grammar usage with proper writing elements. A contributing writer performs in-depth research to support content, ensuring the accuracy of information to release a high-quality article and serve a good read for the target audience. Contributing writers must have excellent time-management and communication skills, especially on meeting deadlines and doing revisions.
Senior medical writers and contributing writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Medical Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Average salary | $99,453 | $51,372 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $157,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Biogen | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a senior medical writer and a contributing writer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Medical Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Journalism |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior medical writers' and contributing writers' demographics:
| Senior Medical Writer | Contributing Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |