Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior medical writers and writers 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 writer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior medical writer has an average salary of $99,453, which is higher than the $66,143 average annual salary of a 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 writer are work ethic, customer service, and web content.
| Senior Medical Writer | Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,453 | $66,143 |
| Hourly rate | $47.81 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 59,478 | 13,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| 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 writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.
Senior medical writers and writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Medical Writer | Writer | |
| Average salary | $99,453 | $66,143 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $157,000 | Between $40,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Biogen | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a senior medical writer and a writer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Medical Writer | Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Nursing | English |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior medical writers' and writers' demographics:
| Senior Medical Writer | Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |