Medical writers: Why they command premium rates and how to become one

Medical writing is one of the highest-paid niches in the writing world. The average medical writer in the US earns around $118,000 per year. And it’s not necessarily because they write better than other writers, it’s because the stakes are higher. 

In this article, I’ll break down why medical writers charge those premium rates and how you can become one. 

What do medical writers write about? 

Medical writers turn scientific and medical data into clear, accurate, and compliant content.  The field has five main specialisations or niches:

Here's a brief overview of each:

• Regulatory Writers: Documents needed for approval by regulatory agencies (think clinical study reports for new drugs). 

• Medical Communications (Med Comms): Materials explaining new treatments, drugs, or devices to healthcare professionals. 

• Medical Education (CME): Training content for doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals at all career stages.

• Medical Marketing (Medical Copywriting): Advertising and promotional content, typically for biotech and pharma companies. That’s what I do. 

• Medical Journalism: Writing for general audiences. 

There’s overlap between these niches. Medical journalism and medical copywriting often target similar audiences (patients and consumers).  Medical communications and education both serve healthcare professionals. Regulatory writing is the exception. It's the most specialised, with strict compliance requirements.

Who hires medical writers?

• Healthcare professionals and institutions

• Biotech and pharma companies

• Medical device manufacturers

• Contract research organisations (CROs)

• Medical communications agencies

• Health publishers and media outlets

Your specific clients will depend on which niche you choose.

Why are medical writers paid differently? 

In short, it's because we are dealing with health, where misinformation may cause real harm. 

1. Accuracy in medical writing

This is a must. 

Medical writers can't rely on nicely written blog posts or secondary sources. They work directly with peer-reviewed research from databases like PubMed, evaluate study quality (observational studies vs. randomised controlled trials), and verify every claim against primary evidence

A wrong statement doesn't just hurt credibility; it can trigger regulatory action or, even worse, patient harm.

2. Regulatory compliance in medical writing 

Medical writers need to stay within regulatory guardrails. 

Even medical writers who don't specialise in regulatory affairs need a working knowledge of FDA, EMA, ICH, and NIH guidelines.

The challenge is to write and simplify complex topics while staying within the regulatory framework.

3. You're protecting brand reputation

Health companies compete on trust. With so many options available, brands need to prove they can handle something as delicate as people's health.

Companies pay premium rates for writers who can deliver scientific accuracy with clarity. That combination is rare. And expensive.

How do you become a medical writer?

You may think that being a medical writer requires some sort of biomedical, science or any other health-related degree, but that’s not true. 

Having a degree helps a lot, sure, but I personally know brilliant medical writers who come from journalism, linguistics, and even computer sciences. If you can demonstrate your ability to write content that is clear, accurate and regulatory compliant, you have good chances of landing a job as a medical writer. It’s ‘show, don’t tell’

It’s a matter of gaining the skills to thrive in this profession rather than collecting a bunch of certifications.

Once you feel comfortable with those skills (more on that below), I recommend displaying them either in a personal blog, portfolio, newsletter, LinkedIn posts, or guest posts. Pick two or three of those channels and start publishing. Show what you can do. 

What are the skills needed to work as a medical writer? 

Besides the basic skills required for any content writer: clarity, research, information filtering, synthesis, tone adaptation, and organisation, there are other core skills you must have if you aim to become a medical writer: 

Technical skills

• Understanding the different types of scientific texts and their use. 

• Biostatistics and data interpretation.

• Critical evaluation of research.

  
  

Communication skills

• Presenting complex scientific information in a simple, yet professional way (especially in marketing and journalism).

• Adapting tone for different audiences: it’s not the same writing for HCPs or for patients. 

  
  

Regulatory knowledge

• Understanding FDA/EMA guidelines. 

• Attention to detail, since wrong statements can be subject to penalties. 

Also, continuous education is key to staying competitive and justifying premium rates. These are some free resources I recommend checking out if you are serious about becoming a medical writer:

Free courses:

• Writing in the Sciences (Stanford - Coursera): A comprehensive introduction to scientific writing, from general audience communications to scientific manuscripts. 

• Science Communication (IsraelX - Edx): Ideal for writers who want to specialise in medical journalism or Med Comms. 

• The Six-Week Course from Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols: Covers the key niches I mentioned earlier, plus the fundamentals of launching a freelance medical writing business.

Use these to test whether medical writing is something you enjoy doing before going all in. 

When it comes to getting clients as a medical writer, there are excellent tips to start in this post. Plus, this is what worked for me 

1. LinkedIn Networking

My strategy was simple: LinkedIn + genuine networking. I’d send connection requests and start conversations in DMs, being genuinely curious about what they do. 

I’d engage with their content and share valuable insights. Not pitching, just building relationships.  I also posted my own content to showcase my expertise. With time and consistency, the snowball effect starts, and you’ll get recommendations from previous clients and colleagues.

2. Joining professional associations 

Regional:

• American Medical Writers Association (AMWA)

• European Medical Writers Association (EMWA)

• Grupo Latinoamericano de Medical Writers (GLAMW)

• Australasian Medical Writers Association (also AMWA): 

By specialty: 

• Association of Health Care Journalists: For those wanting to build their path in medical journalism or Med Comms. 

• Drug Information Association: Relevant to writers working in the regulatory space. 

All these associations give you access to conferences, workshops, and a built-in network.

Not ready for paid memberships? Follow them on LinkedIn or X to access free content and stay connected to the community. 

Those are the main associations; there are several more depending on the niche you want to specialise in. 

Ready to start?

Becoming a medical writer is a fulfilling and financially rewarding career path. You don't need a PhD or an MD. What you need is curiosity, attention to detail, and the ability to translate complex science into clear, compliant content.

What matters the most is your ability to work with scientific evidence, respect regulatory boundaries and communicate complex information clearly. 

The roadmap:

1. Build foundational skills using the free resources I shared above.

2. Stay current as health and pharma move fast, especially with AI reshaping how we create and review content.

3. Specialise as you grow. Generalists get started, specialists command premium rates. 

4. Build genuine relationships. Your network will open more doors than your portfolio.

Finally, remember that consistently showing up is the only shortcut that works. The barrier to entry isn't as high as you may think. The medical writing field needs more people who can do this well.

Start with one course. One piece of content. Send one connection request.

That's how this begins.

Was this useful to you on your writing journey? Reach out to thank Nicolas for the piece on LinkedIn.