Science and Medical Writers


Overview

Science and Medical Writers

Introduction

Science and medical writers translate technical medical and scientific information so it can be disseminated to the general public and professionals in the field. Science and medical writers research, interpret, write, and edit scientific and medical information. Their work often appears in books, technical studies and reports, magazine and trade journal articles, newspapers, company newsletters, and on Web sites, and may be used for radio and television broadcasts. Science and medical writers may also be known as science and me...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$63,200

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Bachelors Degree


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Experience

Prior writing experience required


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Skills

Research|Scientific|Writing


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Personality Traits

Curious|Organized|Scientific

Earnings

Although there are no specific salary surveys for science and medical writers, salary information for all writers is available. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the median annual salary for writers in May 2019 was $63,200. Salaries ranged from less than $33,660 to more than $122,450. Median annual earnings for technical writers were $72,850. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,3...

Work Environment

The work environment for science and medical writers depends on the type of writing and the employer. Generally, writers work in an office or research environment. Writers for the news media sometimes work in noisy surroundings. Some writers travel to research information and conduct interviews while other employers may confine research to local libraries or the Internet. In addition, some empl...

Outlook

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in general there is a lot of competition for writing and editing jobs, and employment for writers is expected to decline 2 percent through 2029. Job opportunities for science and medical writers should be better in certain industries. For example, employment for those who work in media and communications will grow 3 percent. Continued developments in t...