Medical Writers: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of medical writers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for medical writers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of medical writers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for medical writers.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Medical Writers?
Do medical writers need a degree? What kind of experience do medical writers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for medical writers to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Medical Writers
Jobs Postings for Medical Writers By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 21,947 (55%)
- No Education Listed: 7,884 (20%)
- Master's degree: 5,539 (14%)
- High School or GED: 2,440 (6%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 2,286 (6%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of medical writers. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 55% of positions. In 20% of job listings no education level was listed and in 14% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Medical Writers
Jobs Postings for Medical Writers By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,623 (7%)
- 2-3 Years: 8,768 (38%)
- 4-6 Years: 8,951 (38%)
- 7-9 Years: 2,394 (10%)
- 10+ Years: 1,595 (7%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for medical writers. In 38% of job postings for Medical Writers, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 38% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 10% of job postings for medical writers.
What Kind of Degree Do Medical Writers Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for medical writers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 14 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective medical writers, and in 2023 a total of 74,900 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective medical writers.
Top Degree Programs for Medical Writers
Top 5 Degree Programs for Medical Writers (2023)
Program | Completions |
---|---|
English Language and Literature, General. | 35,412 |
Communication, General. | 11,220 |
Journalism. | 10,005 |
Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing. | 2,863 |
Program | Completions |
---|---|
English Language and Literature, General. | 35,412 |
Communication, General. | 11,220 |
Journalism. | 10,005 |
Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing. | 2,863 |
Communication and Media Studies, Other. | 2,831 |
Journalism, Other. | 1,186 |
Business/Corporate Communications, General. | 814 |
Writing, General. | 742 |
Health Communication. | 416 |
Technical and Scientific Communication. | 167 |
Grantsmanship. | 20 |
Business/Corporate Communications, Other. | 3 |
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication. | 0 |
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Medical Writers
Learn how to evaluate, support and integrate communications efforts to help move businesses in front of their competition, including executing strategic plans, developing print materials, and creating digital content in a variety of professional positions, such as PR specialist, copywriter and marketing coordinator.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Learn to craft clear and effective messages while adding new media communication methods to your professional toolkit.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Stand out with a specialized master’s degree focused entirely on strategically integrating marketing and communication.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Accreditation: IACBE
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Build applied skills in strategic communication alongside valuable insights into healthcare industry leadership and policy with Franklin’s 16-month online master’s in healthcare communications.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 16
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Deepen your understanding of communication principles and become a strategic communication planner and manager with Franklin’s 16-month online master’s in strategic communication.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 16
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
What Skills Do Medical Writers Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by medical writers to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for medical writers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Medical Writers
Based on 32,517 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Medical Writers
Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Technical Writing | 12,690 | 39% |
Project Management | 7,652 | 24% |
Technical Documentation | 6,380 | 20% |
Templates | 4,893 | 15% |
Proofreading | 4,282 | 13% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Medical Writers
Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Writing | 17,630 | 54% |
Communication | 16,622 | 51% |
Editing | 10,406 | 32% |
Research | 9,453 | 29% |
Detail Oriented | 9,351 | 29% |
Based on 32,517 job postings related to medical writers, technical writing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 39% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for project management, technical documentation, templates, proofreading and marketing were also highly sought.
As for common skills, writing was the most desired skill found in job postings for medical writers, followed by communication, editing, research, detail oriented and english language.
Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Technical Writing | 12,690 | 39% |
Project Management | 7,652 | 24% |
Technical Documentation | 6,380 | 20% |
Templates | 4,893 | 15% |
Proofreading | 4,282 | 13% |
Marketing | 4,036 | 12% |
Journalism | 3,687 | 11% |
Microsoft SharePoint | 3,620 | 11% |
Request For Proposal | 3,530 | 11% |
Style Guides | 3,178 | 10% |
Technical Communication | 3,014 | 9% |
Workflow Management | 2,888 | 9% |
Medical Writing | 2,828 | 9% |
Software Documentation | 2,710 | 8% |
Microsoft Visio | 2,605 | 8% |
Standard Operating Procedure | 2,506 | 8% |
Computer Science | 2,406 | 7% |
Proposal Writing | 2,319 | 7% |
Content Creation | 2,259 | 7% |
Agile Methodology | 2,119 | 7% |
Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Writing | 17,630 | 54% |
Communication | 16,622 | 51% |
Editing | 10,406 | 32% |
Research | 9,453 | 29% |
Detail Oriented | 9,351 | 29% |
English Language | 8,897 | 27% |
Microsoft Office | 8,586 | 26% |
Management | 7,680 | 24% |
Microsoft PowerPoint | 7,077 | 22% |
Microsoft Excel | 6,520 | 20% |
Presentations | 5,833 | 18% |
Operations | 5,358 | 16% |
Verbal Communication Skills | 5,236 | 16% |
Leadership | 5,137 | 16% |
Planning | 4,650 | 14% |
Microsoft Word | 4,576 | 14% |
Grammar | 4,390 | 14% |
Problem Solving | 4,144 | 13% |
Ability To Meet Deadlines | 3,640 | 11% |
Organizational Skills | 3,480 | 11% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about medical writers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for medical writers.
What do medical writers do?
How much do medical writers make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.