What are the main factors that influence a Scientific Writer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Scientific Writer's salary?

A Scientific Writer's salary grows with experience: starting around $60,131 for beginners, reaching about $62,423 at mid-level, and approach $63,801 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Scientific Writer?

Scientific Writer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Scientific Writer roles are District of Columbia $68,046, California $67,788, Massachusetts $66,885. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Scientific Writer roles make?

Salaries for Scientific Writer level roles vary by specialization: Medical Writer and Editor IV: $113,890; Medical Research Writer IV: $113,880; Senior Scientific Writer: $106,914; Medical Research Writer III: $93,573; Medical Writer and Editor III: $93,543.

How do different companies affect a Scientific Writer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Scientific Writer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Scientific Writer Salary in the United States

How much does a Scientific Writer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Scientific Writer in the United States is $61,458 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Scientific Writer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $79,361
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,981 to $70,829
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,262

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Scientific Writer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,829	$5,902	$1,362	$34
Average	$61,458	$5,122	$1,182	$30
25th Percentile	$52,981	$4,415	$1,019	$25

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Key Factors That Influence Scientific Writer Salaries

A Scientific 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Scientific Writer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Scientific 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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $60,131
Early Career (1-2 years): $60,769
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $62,423
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $63,525
Expert (over 8 years): $63,801

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Scientific Writer	$60,131
Intermediate Level Scientific Writer	$60,769
Senior Level Scientific Writer	$62,423
Specialist Level Scientific Writer	$63,525
Expert Level Scientific Writer	$63,801

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Scientific 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 Scientific Writers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $68,046.
California: $67,788.
Massachusetts: $66,885.

District of Columbia $68,046 California $67,788 Massachusetts $66,885 Washington $66,639 New Jersey $66,614 Alaska $66,528 Connecticut $65,680 New York $65,336

Hawaii $64,236 Rhode Island $63,720 Maryland $63,369 Minnesota $62,890 Colorado $62,706 Illinois $62,644 Oregon $62,411 Delaware $62,239

New Hampshire $62,130 Virginia $61,888 Pennsylvania $61,181 Nevada $60,825 North Dakota $60,708 Michigan $60,524 Wisconsin $60,456 Vermont $60,321

Texas $59,946 Maine $59,922 Arizona $59,885 Ohio $59,842 Georgia $59,276 Indiana $58,994 Wyoming $58,938 Utah $58,852

Iowa $58,815 Kansas $58,520 Louisiana $58,434 North Carolina $58,404 Missouri $58,391 Florida $58,152 Montana $58,022 Nebraska $57,900

Kentucky $57,832 South Carolina $57,586 Tennessee $57,433 Idaho $57,371 New Mexico $56,922 Oklahoma $56,824 Alabama $56,461 South Dakota $55,853

Arkansas $55,521 West Virginia $55,343 Mississippi $54,808

Top Paying Cities for Scientific Writers

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: $77,517
San Francisco: $76,755
Oakland: $75,053

San Jose, CA $77,517

San Francisco, CA $76,755

Oakland, CA $75,053

New York, NY $71,224

Queens Village, NY $70,763

Paramus, NJ $70,271

Passaic, NJ $70,210

Bergenfield, NJ $70,148

Stamford, CT $70,056

Huntington, NY $69,995

Newark, NJ $69,595

Bridgeport, CT $69,472

New Brunswick, NJ $69,269

Vallejo, CA $69,140

Middlesex, NJ $69,103

Somerset, NJ $69,048

Petaluma, CA $68,907

Santa Cruz, CA $68,667

Boston, MA $68,544

Monterey, CA $68,237

Fairbanks, AK $68,194

Los Angeles, CA $68,077

Washington, DC $68,046

Seattle, WA $67,936

Santa Rosa, CA $67,923

Juneau, AK $67,745

Orange, CA $67,542

Anchorage, AK $67,432

Anaheim, CA $67,389

Santa Ana, CA $67,297

Nassau, NY $67,260

Long Beach, CA $67,235

Danbury, CT $67,217

Santa Maria, CA $67,008

Everett, WA $66,995

Bremerton, WA $66,694

Trenton, NJ $66,577

Sacramento, CA $66,553

San Diego, CA $66,522

Brockton, MA $66,498

Tacoma, WA $66,473

Santa Barbara, CA $66,387

Lowell, MA $66,141

New Suffolk, NY $66,117

Nashua, NH $66,043

Lompoc, CA $65,944

Ventura, CA $65,883

Stockton, CA $65,865

New Haven, CT $65,742

Atlantic City, NJ $65,582

Hartford, CT $65,447

Modesto, CA $65,416

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,281

New Britain, CT $65,250

Olympia, WA $65,164

Kennewick, WA $65,164

New London, CT $65,152

Norwich, CT $65,133

Lawrence, MA $65,102

Bakersfield, CA $64,930

Riverside, CA $64,844

New Bedford, MA $64,844

Richland, WA $64,783

Portsmouth, NH $64,734

Vineland, NJ $64,721

San Bernardino, CA $64,672

Boulder, CO $64,500

Worcester, MA $64,451

Portland, OR $64,396

Saint Paul, MN $64,322

Minneapolis, MN $64,322

Philadelphia, PA $64,236

Honolulu, HI $63,910

Springfield, MA $63,695

Providence, RI $63,689

Chicago, IL $63,511

Bellingham, WA $63,437

Baltimore, MD $63,369

Chico, CA $63,216

Wilmington, DE $63,111

Pittsfield, MA $63,050

Manchester, NH $62,933

Spokane, WA $62,663

Denver, CO $62,656

Albany, NY $62,368

Troy, NY $62,343

Schenectady, NY $62,214

Burlington, VT $62,079

Portland, ME $61,864

Salem, OR $61,814

Yakima, WA $61,802

Ann Arbor, MI $61,784

Rochester, MN $61,612

Fresno, CA $61,581

Reno, NV $61,581

Milwaukee, WI $61,526

Detroit, MI $61,464

Allentown, PA $61,446

Carson City, NV $61,440

Houston, TX $61,347

Colorado Springs, CO $61,341

Syracuse, NY $61,311

Eugene, OR $61,194

Bismarck, ND $61,120

Gary, IN $61,120

Galveston, TX $61,120

Springfield, OR $61,071

Medford, OR $60,923

Fort Collins, CO $60,899

Austin, TX $60,850

Mesa, AZ $60,721

Phoenix, AZ $60,708

Dallas, TX $60,690

Reading, PA $60,653

Saint Cloud, MN $60,628

Concord, NH $60,573

Madison, WI $60,548

Utica, NY $60,382

Raleigh, NC $60,333

Las Vegas, NV $60,327

Rochester, NY $60,284

Des Moines, IA $60,278

Atlanta, GA $60,180

Battle Creek, MI $60,161

Salt Lake City, UT $60,143

Lancaster, PA $60,051

Champaign, IL $60,038

Harrisburg, PA $59,965

Durham, NC $59,909

Kansas City, MO $59,903

Kansas City, KS $59,891

Fort Worth, TX $59,885

Boca Raton, FL $59,860

Cleveland, OH $59,854

Columbus, OH $59,842

Pittsburgh, PA $59,836

Richmond, VA $59,811

Indianapolis, IN $59,799

Cincinnati, OH $59,719

Petersburg, VA $59,627

Billings, MT $59,491

Lansing, MI $59,491

Huntsville, AL $59,491

Lebanon, PA $59,485

Dayton, OH $59,479

Pueblo, CO $59,479

Appleton, WI $59,461

Buffalo, NY $59,436

Racine, WI $59,405

Charlotte, NC $59,399

Saint Louis, MO $59,381

Springfield, IL $59,356

Elkhart, IN $59,344

York, PA $59,344

Gastonia, NC $59,338

Benton Harbor, MI $59,338

Beaumont, TX $59,301

Lorain, OH $59,289

Toledo, OH $59,264

Binghamton, NY $59,233

Rock Hill, SC $59,227

Rockford, IL $59,196

Fargo, ND $59,166

Elyria, OH $59,166

Flagstaff, AZ $59,123

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,086

Miami, FL $59,049

Duluth, MN $58,951

Bangor, ME $58,871

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,803

Louisville, KY $58,772

Grand Rapids, MI $58,760

Hialeah, FL $58,754

Casper, WY $58,668

Scranton, PA $58,594

New Orleans, LA $58,576

Virginia Beach, VA $58,569

Akron, OH $58,539

Peoria, IL $58,459

Sarasota, FL $58,447

Green Bay, WI $58,404

Baton Rouge, LA $58,373

Charleston, SC $58,361

Nashville, TN $58,342

Jamestown, NY $58,330

Davenport, IA $58,330

Tucson, AZ $58,299

Cheyenne, WY $58,281

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,262

Tampa, FL $58,250

Omaha, NE $58,238

Port Arthur, TX $58,213

Evansville, IN $58,213

Bradenton, FL $58,188

Santa Fe, NM $58,078

Orlando, FL $58,016

Clearwater, FL $57,949

Canton, OH $57,820

La Crosse, WI $57,820

Grand Forks, ND $57,801

Albuquerque, NM $57,783

Tulsa, OK $57,783

Newport News, VA $57,777

High Point, NC $57,758

Ogden, UT $57,734

Corpus Christi, TX $57,684

Laramie, WY $57,648

Norfolk, VA $57,648

Rock Island, IL $57,611

Saginaw, MI $57,598

Jacksonville, FL $57,592

Salisbury, NC $57,580

Memphis, TN $57,568

Moline, IL $57,537

Fort Myers, FL $57,519

Waterloo, IA $57,439

Spartanburg, SC $57,377

Lincoln, NE $57,346

Fort Wayne, IN $57,334

Birmingham, AL $57,267

Cedar Falls, IA $57,254

Provo, UT $57,248

Springfield, OH $57,242

San Antonio, TX $57,230

Greensboro, NC $57,205

South Bend, IN $57,199

Winston Salem, NC $57,193

Boise, ID $57,174

Savannah, GA $57,131

Muskegon, MI $57,021

Lima, OH $56,947

Lake Charles, LA $56,922

Anderson, IN $56,910

Lexington, KY $56,892

Augusta, GA $56,873

Greenville, SC $56,873

Wichita, KS $56,818

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,818

Columbia, SC $56,763

Bloomington, IN $56,609

Roanoke, VA $56,572

Asheville, NC $56,492

Knoxville, TN $56,388

Shreveport, LA $56,382

Wilmington, NC $56,302

Frankfort, KY $56,185

Oklahoma City, OK $56,142

Chillicothe, OH $56,117

Longview, TX $56,111

Topeka, KS $56,093

Mobile, AL $56,001

Terre Haute, IN $55,976

Erie, PA $55,970

Altoona, PA $55,939

Melbourne, FL $55,921

Amarillo, TX $55,896

Killeen, TX $55,878

Fayetteville, AR $55,828

Sioux Falls, SD $55,785

Chattanooga, TN $55,749

Idaho Falls, ID $55,742

Gainesville, FL $55,613

Portsmouth, OH $55,583

Little Rock, AR $55,570

Lynchburg, VA $55,570

Lafayette, LA $55,546

Youngstown, OH $55,546

Temple, TX $55,521

Daytona Beach, FL $55,509

Clarksville, TN $55,503

Pensacola, FL $55,497

Hopkinsville, KY $55,312

Charleston, WV $55,306

Florence, SC $55,275

Sioux City, IA $55,238

Macon, GA $55,060

Tallahassee, FL $55,054

Fayetteville, NC $55,042

Waco, TX $55,029

Wichita Falls, TX $55,029

Pine Bluff, AR $55,005

Vincennes, IN $54,888

Lubbock, TX $54,864

Great Falls, MT $54,827

Alamogordo, NM $54,821

Abilene, TX $54,771

Rapid City, SD $54,691

Monroe, LA $54,691

Albany, GA $54,655

Huntington, WV $54,648

Jackson, MS $54,642

Greenville, MS $54,636

Parkersburg, WV $54,575

Montgomery, AL $54,562

Johnstown, PA $54,550

Springfield, MO $54,501

Biloxi, MS $54,470

Sumter, SC $54,341

Columbus, GA $54,335

Twin Falls, ID $54,298

Pascagoula, MS $54,218

Kingsport, TN $54,058

Gulfport, MS $54,040

Alexandria, LA $53,837

Fort Smith, AR $53,684

El Paso, TX $53,518

Helena, MT $53,438

Las Cruces, NM $53,241

Harlingen, TX $53,069

Pocatello, ID $53,014

Florence, AL $52,995

Brownsville, TX $52,983

Dothan, AL $52,885

Mcallen, TX $52,854

Columbus, MS $52,399

Altus, OK $52,116

Lawton, OK $52,000

Pierre, SD $51,778

What Skills Can Increase a Scientific Writer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Integrity (Mentioned in 5.09% Job Postings): Is about having strong principles and values, which you demonstrate through your conduct in the work environment. A common integrity definition states that people with integrity do the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Oncology (Mentioned in 2.46% Job Postings): Designing, constructing, and repairing dental prosthetics and restorative and orthodontic devices to help patients correct dental conditions.
Data Collection (Mentioned in 1.46% Job Postings): Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on targeted variables in an established system, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes. Data collection is a component of research in all fields of study including physical and social sciences, humanities, and business. While methods vary by discipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal for all data collection is to capture quality evidence that allows analysis to lead to the formulation of convincing and credible answers to the questions that have been posed.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Integrity	5.09%
Oncology	2.46%
Data Collection	1.46%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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 Scientific Writer's salary.

Line Management: Can increase your salary by up to 33%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Patient Safety: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Line Management	$81,739	33%
Dedication	$66,989	9%
Patient Safety	$65,760	7%
Accountability	$65,145	6%
Communicates Effectively	$65,145	6%
Communication Skills	$64,531	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Scientific Writer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Scientific Writers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Scientific Writer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $64,284 and $68,801).

Scientific Writer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Scientific Writer

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 2.7%

Associates 1.9%

Bachelors 61.9%

Masters 26.5%

Doctorate 6.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	2.7%
Associates	1.9%
Bachelors	61.9%
Masters	26.5%
Doctorate	6.6%

view as graph

Scientific Writer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Scientific 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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$52,981

Average $61,458/year

$70,829

$4,415

Average $5,122/month

$5,902

$1,019

Average $1,182/week

$1,362

$25

Average $30/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,829	$5,902	$1,362	$34
Average	$61,458	$5,122	$1,182	$30
25th Percentile	$52,981	$4,415	$1,019	$25

Salaries of jobs related to Scientific Writer

Salary Trends for Scientific Writer

Salaries for a Scientific Writer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $56,197 in 2023 to around $56,207 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Scientific Writer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Scientific Writer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$56,197

2024

$56,306

2025

$56,207

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$56,197
2024	$56,306
2025	$56,207
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Scientific Writer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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