Freelance Science Writer Salary in the United States
How much does a Freelance Science Writer make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Freelance Science Writer in the United States is $90,051 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.
However, a Freelance Science Writer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,670
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,138 to $99,797
Key Factors That Influence Freelance Science Writer Salaries
A Freelance Science Writer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Freelance Science Writer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Freelance Science Writer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Freelance Science Writer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Freelance Science Writers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $113,581
San Francisco: $112,337
Oakland: $109,970
San Jose, CA$113,581
San Francisco, CA$112,337
Oakland, CA$109,970
New York, NY$103,683
Paramus, NJ$102,423
Queens Village, NY$102,418
Passaic, NJ$102,333
Bergenfield, NJ$102,325
Stamford, CT$102,126
Huntington, NY$102,090
Newark, NJ$101,424
Bridgeport, CT$101,234
Vallejo, CA$101,055
New Brunswick, NJ$101,019
Petaluma, CA$100,965
Middlesex, NJ$100,794
Somerset, NJ$100,731
Santa Cruz, CA$100,614
Boston, MA$100,064
Monterey, CA$99,748
Seattle, WA$99,542
Santa Rosa, CA$99,524
Los Angeles, CA$99,497
Juneau, AK$99,263
Washington, DC$99,164
Orange, CA$98,843
Santa Ana, CA$98,606
Long Beach, CA$98,515
Anaheim, CA$98,497
Anchorage, AK$98,452
Santa Maria, CA$98,182
Everett, WA$98,164
Danbury, CT$97,847
Bremerton, WA$97,723
Tacoma, WA$97,399
New Suffolk, NY$97,397
Sacramento, CA$97,372
Santa Barbara, CA$97,273
Trenton, NJ$97,174
San Diego, CA$97,174
Brockton, MA$97,075
Fairbanks, AK$96,854
Lompoc, CA$96,624
Lowell, MA$96,551
Ventura, CA$96,534
Nashua, NH$96,516
Stockton, CA$96,507
Modesto, CA$95,850
Poughkeepsie, NY$95,652
Olympia, WA$95,481
Kennewick, WA$95,481
New Haven, CT$95,445
Lawrence, MA$95,121
Hartford, CT$95,031
Riverside, CA$95,012
New Bedford, MA$94,922
Richland, WA$94,922
Bakersfield, CA$94,796
San Bernardino, CA$94,760
New Britain, CT$94,751
Atlantic City, NJ$94,751
New London, CT$94,715
Norwich, CT$94,688
Portsmouth, NH$94,670
Boulder, CO$94,479
Portland, OR$94,355
Worcester, MA$94,346
Minneapolis, MN$94,067
Philadelphia, PA$93,941
Honolulu, HI$93,644
Saint Paul, MN$93,600
Vineland, NJ$93,581
Providence, RI$93,320
Chicago, IL$93,058
Bellingham, WA$92,950
Springfield, MA$92,878
Baltimore, MD$92,851
Chico, CA$92,626
Pittsfield, MA$92,383
Manchester, NH$92,212
Spokane, WA$91,816
Denver, CO$91,807
Albany, NY$91,383
Troy, NY$91,347
Nassau, NY$91,251
Schenectady, NY$91,158
Wilmington, DE$91,086
Burlington, VT$90,960
Salem, OR$90,924
Portland, ME$90,645
Yakima, WA$90,555
Rochester, MN$90,276
Reno, NV$90,231
Fresno, CA$90,231
Milwaukee, WI$90,150
Detroit, MI$90,060
Ann Arbor, MI$90,044
Allentown, PA$90,033
Colorado Springs, CO$89,880
Syracuse, NY$89,835
Carson City, NV$89,835
Houston, TX$89,709
Eugene, OR$89,663
Gary, IN$89,555
Springfield, OR$89,483
Bismarck, ND$89,465
Galveston, TX$89,402
Medford, OR$89,267
Fort Collins, CO$89,231
Concord, NH$89,186
Austin, TX$89,159
Mesa, AZ$88,970
Reading, PA$88,961
Phoenix, AZ$88,952
Dallas, TX$88,925
Saint Cloud, MN$88,839
Madison, WI$88,718
Utica, NY$88,475
Rochester, NY$88,331
Des Moines, IA$88,322
Raleigh, NC$88,313
Atlanta, GA$88,178
Battle Creek, MI$88,151
Salt Lake City, UT$88,124
Lancaster, PA$87,989
Harrisburg, PA$87,862
Kansas City, MO$87,772
Champaign, IL$87,754
Kansas City, KS$87,754
Fort Worth, TX$87,745
Columbus, OH$87,730
Boca Raton, FL$87,709
Pittsburgh, PA$87,673
Richmond, VA$87,637
Indianapolis, IN$87,619
Cleveland, OH$87,610
Las Vegas, NV$87,502
Cincinnati, OH$87,502
Petersburg, VA$87,367
Huntsville, AL$87,232
Lansing, MI$87,172
Lebanon, PA$87,160
Pueblo, CO$87,151
Appleton, WI$87,124
Buffalo, NY$87,088
Dayton, OH$87,061
Racine, WI$87,043
Charlotte, NC$87,034
Saint Louis, MO$87,007
York, PA$86,953
Elkhart, IN$86,953
Gastonia, NC$86,936
Billings, MT$86,914
Beaumont, TX$86,890
Lorain, OH$86,872
Benton Harbor, MI$86,854
Toledo, OH$86,836
Binghamton, NY$86,791
Rock Hill, SC$86,782
Rockford, IL$86,737
Springfield, IL$86,701
Elyria, OH$86,692
Fargo, ND$86,692
Flagstaff, AZ$86,629
Fort Lauderdale, FL$86,575
Duluth, MN$86,521
Miami, FL$86,521
Cheyenne, WY$86,458
Grand Forks, ND$86,458
Bangor, ME$86,260
Cedar Rapids, IA$86,161
Durham, NC$86,123
Louisville, KY$86,115
Grand Rapids, MI$86,097
Hialeah, FL$86,088
Casper, WY$85,962
Scranton, PA$85,854
New Orleans, LA$85,827
Virginia Beach, VA$85,818
Akron, OH$85,773
Peoria, IL$85,656
Sarasota, FL$85,638
Nashville, TN$85,575
Omaha, NE$85,575
Green Bay, WI$85,575
Baton Rouge, LA$85,530
Charleston, SC$85,512
Jamestown, NY$85,467
Davenport, IA$85,467
Tucson, AZ$85,422
Saint Petersburg, FL$85,368
Tampa, FL$85,350
Evansville, IN$85,296
Port Arthur, TX$85,296
Bradenton, FL$85,260
Santa Fe, NM$85,098
Orlando, FL$84,936
Clearwater, FL$84,909
Canton, OH$84,720
La Crosse, WI$84,720
Albuquerque, NM$84,666
Newport News, VA$84,657
High Point, NC$84,630
Ogden, UT$84,594
Corpus Christi, TX$84,522
Norfolk, VA$84,468
Laramie, WY$84,468
Rock Island, IL$84,414
Saginaw, MI$84,396
Jacksonville, FL$84,387
Salisbury, NC$84,369
Boise, ID$84,350
Moline, IL$84,305
Fort Myers, FL$84,278
Memphis, TN$84,260
Tulsa, OK$84,215
Waterloo, IA$84,161
Spartanburg, SC$84,071
Lincoln, NE$84,026
Fort Wayne, IN$84,008
Provo, UT$83,999
Cedar Falls, IA$83,891
San Antonio, TX$83,855
Greensboro, NC$83,819
South Bend, IN$83,810
Savannah, GA$83,711
Muskegon, MI$83,675
Birmingham, AL$83,666
Winston Salem, NC$83,622
Lake Charles, LA$83,405
Anderson, IN$83,387
Lexington, KY$83,360
Augusta, GA$83,333
Greenville, SC$83,333
Lima, OH$83,261
Wichita, KS$83,252
Tuscaloosa, AL$83,252
Columbia, SC$83,171
Springfield, OH$83,153
Asheville, NC$83,009
Bloomington, IN$82,946
Knoxville, TN$82,622
Shreveport, LA$82,613
Wilmington, NC$82,495
Roanoke, VA$82,495
Topeka, KS$82,333
Frankfort, KY$82,323
Oklahoma City, OK$82,261
Chillicothe, OH$82,225
Longview, TX$82,216
Melbourne, FL$82,207
Sioux Falls, SD$82,063
Mobile, AL$82,054
Terre Haute, IN$82,018
Altoona, PA$81,964
Amarillo, TX$81,901
Killeen, TX$81,874
Fayetteville, AR$81,802
Chattanooga, TN$81,775
Sioux City, IA$81,694
Idaho Falls, ID$81,676
Lynchburg, VA$81,604
Gainesville, FL$81,487
Portsmouth, OH$81,442
Little Rock, AR$81,424
Lafayette, LA$81,388
Youngstown, OH$81,388
Daytona Beach, FL$81,334
Clarksville, TN$81,325
Pensacola, FL$81,316
Temple, TX$81,309
Hopkinsville, KY$81,046
Erie, PA$81,028
Florence, SC$80,992
Charleston, WV$80,848
Great Falls, MT$80,802
Macon, GA$80,676
Tallahassee, FL$80,667
Fayetteville, NC$80,649
Waco, TX$80,631
Helena, MT$80,568
Pine Bluff, AR$80,534
Vincennes, IN$80,424
Lubbock, TX$80,388
Alamogordo, NM$80,334
Twin Falls, ID$80,253
Rapid City, SD$80,226
Jackson, MS$80,064
Huntington, WV$80,058
Greenville, MS$80,055
Parkersburg, WV$79,963
Montgomery, AL$79,947
Wichita Falls, TX$79,857
Springfield, MO$79,857
Biloxi, MS$79,812
Monroe, LA$79,722
Johnstown, PA$79,659
Sumter, SC$79,623
Columbus, GA$79,614
Pascagoula, MS$79,443
Abilene, TX$79,443
Kingsport, TN$79,209
Albany, GA$79,209
Gulfport, MS$79,182
Alexandria, LA$78,884
Fort Smith, AR$78,659
El Paso, TX$78,416
Las Cruces, NM$78,011
Harlingen, TX$77,782
Pocatello, ID$77,768
Florence, AL$77,651
Brownsville, TX$77,633
Mcallen, TX$77,444
Dothan, AL$77,318
Columbus, MS$76,783
Altus, OK$76,363
Lawton, OK$76,192
Pierre, SD$75,868
What Skills Can Increase a Freelance Science Writer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 11.81% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Cardiac (Mentioned in 1.7% Job Postings): Cardiac means relating to the heart. The adjective cardiac is most often used in a medical context: a doctor who operates on people's hearts is a cardiac surgeon and an irregular heart beat is called "cardiac arrhythmia."
Billing (Mentioned in 1.18% Job Postings): Billing refers to the aspect of banking, whereby someone is charged accurately for what item they purchased.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Freelance Science Writer's salary.
Cardiac: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Field Sales: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Troubleshooting: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Freelance Science Writer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Freelance Science Writer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 75% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average.
In contrast, Freelance Science Writer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Freelance Science Writer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Freelance Science Writer
Understanding how a Freelance Science Writer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$81,138
Average$90,051/year
$99,797
$6,762
Average$7,504/month
$8,316
$1,560
Average$1,732/week
$1,919
$39
Average$43/hour
$48
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$99,797
$8,316
$1,919
$48
Average
$90,051
$7,504
$1,732
$43
25th Percentile
$81,138
$6,762
$1,560
$39
Salaries of Jobs related to Freelance Science Writer
Salaries for a Freelance Science Writer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $90,409 in 2023
to around $89,230 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Freelance Science Writer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Freelance Science Writer Over Time
$???
$90,409
$89,944
$89,230
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$90,409
2024
$89,944
2025
$89,230
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Freelance Science Writer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Freelance Science Writer
Here are companies hiring for Freelance Science Writer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Freelance Science Writer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Freelance Science Writer?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Freelance Science Writer roles,
with salaries approximately 35% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
