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

What is a science writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Thomas Reynolds

A science writer is an individual who researches, writes, and edits scientific articles and news features, for such publications as technical and scientific journals, websites, and other media outlets. These individuals understand specific scientific topics and seek to put these topics in a highly readable form for the general public.

Science writers write on such topics as climate change, oceanography, physics, the space program, epidemiology, biology, and chemistry. A science writer is often hired by a company or an organization as a consultant and can be assigned a variety of subjects to write on.

Most science writers do not necessarily have a bachelor's or an advanced degree in a scientific discipline, and most have a background in journalism or English. A science writer should be able to understand complex scientific information and possess strong research, writing, and editing skills. These individuals should also possess expertise in presenting complex topics in an easy-to-understand way, as well as strong verbal, written, and communication skills. A science writer can make up to $75,000 annually in the US, and the career field is expected to grow 7% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a Science 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.

ScoreScience WriterUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $69,214

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 8.78%

Black or African American 6.71%

Hispanic or Latino 7.89%

Unknown 4.99%

White 71.27%

Gender

female 62.62%

male 37.38%

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

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Key steps to become a science writer

Explore science writer education requirements

Most common science writer degrees

Bachelor's

67.1 %

Master's

18.7 %

Doctorate

10.1 %

Start to develop specific science writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Biomedical	12.10%
NIH	9.52%
Scientific Content	7.52%
Press Releases	7.03%
Proofreading	6.35%

Complete relevant science writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New science 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 science writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real science writer resumes.

Research science writer duties and responsibilities

Manage assignments and workloads of copywriting team.
Manage a team of RFP writers and work with a cross-functional team to meet RFP requirements and establish deadlines.
Interview SMEs, revise inputs, and finalize text.
Convert topics to HTML for use in the customized browser.

Prepare your science writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your science 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 science writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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