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Job outlook for senior medical writers in the United States
Are senior medical writer jobs in demand?
Senior medical writer job and salary trends over time
Senior medical writer jobs over time
Senior medical writer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 703 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 722 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 750 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 743 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 738 | 0.00% |
Average senior medical writer salary over time
Senior medical writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $99,453 | $47.81 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $97,055 | $46.66 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $95,722 | $46.02 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $94,497 | $45.43 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $93,058 | $44.74 | --0.6% |
Senior medical writer jobs by state
Most common states for senior medical writers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 338 | 49% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,028 | 18% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 527 | 17% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 167 | 17% |
| 5 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 273 | 16% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,865 | 15% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,438 | 14% |
| 8 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 870 | 14% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 283 | 14% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,097 | 13% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 523 | 12% |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 212 | 12% |
| 13 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,253 | 11% |
| 14 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 559 | 11% |
| 15 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 334 | 11% |
| 16 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 506 | 10% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 311 | 10% |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 226 | 8% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 357 | 5% |
| 20 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 324 | 5% |
Most common cities for senior medical writers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 6 | 22% | $73,613 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 8 | 20% | $101,070 |
| 3 | Dover | 7 | 19% | $88,690 |
| 4 | Juneau | 6 | 18% | $88,613 |
| 5 | Lansing | 8 | 7% | $97,614 |
| 6 | Topeka | 7 | 6% | $74,956 |
| 7 | Hartford | 6 | 5% | $99,928 |
| 8 | Baton Rouge | 9 | 4% | $86,899 |
| 9 | Des Moines | 8 | 4% | $68,390 |
| 10 | Little Rock | 7 | 4% | $75,233 |
| 11 | Montgomery | 7 | 3% | $78,118 |
| 12 | Boston | 15 | 2% | $104,298 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 10 | 2% | $82,539 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 10 | 1% | $118,374 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 8 | 1% | $80,485 |
| 16 | Washington | 7 | 1% | $138,272 |
| 17 | Denver | 6 | 1% | $80,999 |
Senior Medical Writer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior medical writer experts
Tusculum University
Colorado Mesa University
University of Rhode Island
University of Wisconsin - Madison
California University of Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota
Bucknell University
Vicky Johnson Bós
Associate Professor of EnglishTusculum University
English Language And Literature
What will help Senior Medical Writers increase their earning potential?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Have practical experience in that field through a summer job, internship, or access to expertise. Getting a Master's Degree or even a PhD can greatly influence salary potential. Be aware that you may have to take a 'starting' job at less of a good salary to get practical experience to make the leap to a better paying job.
What Senior Medical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Students should be very familiar with using AI in responsible, informed ways to further their writing and research. Having people-skills will never go unused. Good writing and technological skills will become even more in demand with the growth of new, unexplored job markets.
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD
Associate Professor of EnglishColorado Mesa University
English Language And Literature
What Senior Medical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD: In terms of general advice, students just entering the career field after graduating should apply far and wide. In other words, I would suggest that students not limit themselves because they might be surprised where they can land a job. With that said, they should still tailor their application materials for the job that they want, instead of just sending out the same materials again/again.
What's a good job out of college for Senior Medical Writers?
John Pantalone: At this point, at the risk of being sarcastic, any job is a good job. The real answer is that it depends on the field you plan to go into and what you consider a good job. A livable wage with reasonable benefits is part of the equation; the other part is whether you genuinely enjoy the work.
What type of skills will young Senior Medical Writers need?
Patricia Hastings: Young graduates will need a few skills outside of the usual ones for a good journalism job. They will have to be able to interview for jobs via Zoom or whatever system is used. That's a different skill set than being in person. I also believe students will have to work harder to "brand" themselves. Why should someone hire you? Do the resume and work examples say "I am the go to person for getting this done?" Make an elevator pitch for yourself and see how hard it is to do. The usual skills still need to be there-video, social, maybe audio-because that's what it takes today.
I also think graduates needs to be aware of the information that's out there, and be suspicious or know enough to check for accuracy. If a photo is digitally manipulated, will you know? How can you tell? In my opinion, this is maybe the biggest skill needed. What is balanced and researched as to what is created to satisfy some agenda? This has and will continue to be an area to watch.
What type of skills will young Senior Medical Writers need?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: College graduates in 2021 and beyond, need all of the skills that English programs have to offer: critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility. New hires need to be able to adapt to workplace changes quickly and with aplomb, which requires critical thinking and problem solving and the ability to communicate those solutions to a diverse audience clearly and effectively. Those skills are refined and practiced regularly in English programs.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Medical Writers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: Although employers prior to COVID-19 knew that remote work was not only possible, but in some cases even more productive than in the traditional workplace, the pandemic has reinforced the idea that employees can work from anywhere in the world. While this gives graduates the potential to work globally in a way that was never possible before, it also means that English majors in the US are now competing in a worldwide marketplace against graduates from universities, not just in their region or country, but from around the globe. It is both exciting and intimidating, and we must prepare our graduates to meet the demands of this ever-expanding job market.
What Senior Medical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Thomas Reynolds: Technical writing and communication can span many fields. However, there are specific fields that are especially open to technical communication, such as information technology and computer software (technical documentation, for example), as well as medical and health fields. Many of our graduates work for companies that involve computer technology, such as software companies and content management for web consulting firms. In addition, many of our graduates work in biomedical companies that require technical and global documentation of medical devices.
I can't say that I know of a sure bet, but places that deal with medical technology, healthcare, and related fields are probably going to need people well-trained to communicate specialized knowledge to a variety of audiences and in a variety of ways. Telemedicine seems to have gained a more permanent stronghold in the healthcare system, and I imagine that the various communication channels involved in this new way of practicing medicine will open opportunities for well-trained graduates, such as ours who are willing to be pioneers in this area.
Sarah Bell
Senior Associate Director, CounselingBucknell University
Center for Career Advancement
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Medical Writers in the next 5 years?
Sarah Bell: As mentioned in #2, English majors go into many fields, and technology is affecting most of them now. We will likely always need creators, editors, and researchers of content, which will certainly make English majors useful in a variety of fields, due to (or in spite of) the technology advances. Experience in learning and utilizing a variety of software, platforms, and social media tools will only enhance their ability to complete their work in an effective and efficient manner in a variety of work settings.