Do you need a medical degree to be a medical writer?

Yes, medical writers need a bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific field at a minimum to be a medical writer. Reports show that 72% of medical writers hold a graduate degree. In addition, the American Medical Writers Association offers a Medical Writer Certification (MWC).

Is it hard to become a medical writer?

Yes, it is hard to become a medical writer without a background in science combined with good writing skills. The good news is there are education programs to help. Over 70% of medical writers hold a graduate degree, which means the path to success takes time.

How To Become A Medical Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a medical writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Thomas Reynolds

A Medical Writer is a person with great expertise or a good understanding of both medicine and the process of writing. They mainly research, edit, and write many different medical and scientific documents, reports, presentations, and processes.

Their proficiencies are also often used throughout the submission of medical and clinical research to certain institutions, like regulatory agencies or the FDA. These proficiencies include anything from the concept suggestions to the main plans and everything in between. The job is truly a diverse one, taking many paths, from journalism to education to advertisement to legality and so on. Due to this job's very nature and career path, the Medical Writer needs to remain well-versed in new medical laws and research that might affect clients.

There is no academic requirement set in medical writing. A person may need only an excellent and proven understanding of language and grammar. Even in-house training and company tutors are not uncommon amongst these Writers.

What general advice would you give to a Medical Writer?

Thomas Reynolds

Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Minnesota

I think there will be a lasting impact of this pandemic on graduates. The nature of the field is that others in the industry (scientists, engineers, for ex.) often take on tech writing and communication tasks in tight economic conditions, or even just as a matter of a particular culture in a particular business. However, the field of technical communication has been predicted to have a strong future (see Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts growth in jobs in this field).

Technical writing and communication require that students are comfortable with technology and communication and that they adapt to changing situations. I think there are also opportunities for savvy graduates who can offer certain skills and experiences that are unique to the changing situation. This field has a long history of resilience for its graduates seeking jobs in tough circumstances.

ScoreMedical WriterUS Average

Salary

7.3

Avg. Salary $93,842

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.8

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 8.72%

Black or African American 6.62%

Hispanic or Latino 7.81%

Unknown 4.98%

White 71.52%

Gender

female 66.45%

male 33.55%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.2

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.6

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical writer

Explore medical writer education requirements

Most common medical writer degrees

Bachelor's

57.2 %

Master's

18.4 %

Doctorate

17.6 %

Start to develop specific medical writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Medical Writing	10.57%
Patients	8.23%
Clinical Research	5.79%
Clinical Study Reports	5.79%
Literature Searches	4.94%

Complete relevant medical writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a medical writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical writer resumes.

Research medical writer duties and responsibilities

Develop network of science contacts at NASA to inform stories and generate new leads.
Manage, and assist in the recruiting activities of, CRO resources preparing regulatory documents on behalf of APGD.
Create and maintain account profiles for contributors, including writing of biographies, gathering headshots, and creating and managing accounts.
Create manuscripts, abstracts, and PowerPoint slide decks for a prominent pharmaceutical client.

Get medical writer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a medical writer. The most common roles before becoming a medical writer include research assistant, technical writer team lead and research associate.

Prepare your medical writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a medical writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Medical Writer Resume templates

Build a professional Medical Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Medical Writer resume.

Apply for medical writer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a medical writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do medical writers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Medical Writer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

people not providing accurate information

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Research on Future computers , countries , foods , culture , doctors and singers.

Cons

Research on medicines , school work , colleges and etc

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

It offers a less stressful environment to work with and it broadens the knowledge.

Cons

It gets boring when you are doing it long enough.

What is a medical writer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Medical Writer?

Medical Writer career paths

Key steps to become a medical writer

Explore medical writer education requirements

Most common medical writer degrees

Start to develop specific medical writer skills

Complete relevant medical writer training and internships

Research medical writer duties and responsibilities

Get medical writer experience

Prepare your medical writer resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Medical Writer Resume templates

Apply for medical writer jobs

How Did You Land Your First Medical Writer Job

Average medical writer salary

How do medical writers rate their job?

Medical Writer reviews

Medical Writer FAQs

Do you need a medical degree to be a medical writer?

Is it hard to become a medical writer?

Search for medical writer jobs

Medical Writer jobs by state