Do Medical Writers Make Good Money? Here’s What You Can Expect as a CME Writer
Most people want a career that’s both meaningful and financially rewarding. How does medical writing measure up?
One of the first questions new and aspiring medical writers ask is, how much can I make? It’s an important question. You’re not just looking for interesting work. You’re building a career that can support your goals, your lifestyle, and your future.
Medical writing can be both meaningful and financially rewarding. But not every path offers the same level of opportunity. That’s where CME is a standout choice. When you know how to write accredited education for healthcare professionals, you step into a niche with steady demand and the chance to create work that is recognized and trusted across the industry.
Imagine being paid to transform evolving research into education that clinicians rely on. This is work that not only makes a difference in healthcare but also gives you stability and room to grow as a writer.
In this post, we’ll explore earning potential across medical writing niches and why CME continues to offer one of the most sustainable and rewarding paths forward.
What Medical Writers Typically Earn
If you’ve ever typed, “How much do medical writers make?” into Google, you’ve probably seen a wide range of different pay levels, and that’s because there are. According to recent data from Salary.com, the average medical writing salary in the U.S. is around $112,235 per year.
The AMWA 2024 Compensation Report samples a smaller group, coming in with a higher number for salaried workers at $149,846. However, mean gross income for freelance medical writers is actually $214,227 – pre-tax, pre-benefits, and pre-expenses. If that wasn’t a wide enough range between employed and freelance medical writers, check out the range between employees in different roles.
For entry-level roles, the average pay is roughly $82,000 per year. As you start to gain experience and move into more senior positions, your salary expectations can reach $150,000 to $187,000. That’s a significant leap and reflects the skill, knowledge, and subject matter expertise required in this field – and in my experience, that jump tends to happen with freelance writers, too, although different factors may influence their personal pay raises.
It’s also important to know that salary isn’t just based on job title. The niche that you choose is going to play a big role in your earning potential. Some areas of medical writing are more specialized and therefore come along with a higher pay scale.
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What Do Different Niches Pay? Let’s Compare
The medical writing salary range can vary depending on what kind of work you do. Each niche comes with its own unique set of expectations, timelines, and required skill sets.
Regulatory writers work on clinical trial documents and FDA submissions. This work is highly technical and usually requires an advanced degree (like a PharmD or PhD) or rigorous training in the field. It also requires a very high level of precision, knowledge of regulations, and a strong grasp of clinical data. The mean gross income for regulatory writers in 2024 according to the AMWA Compensation Survey was $166,457 for employed writers, while the mean gross income for freelance regulatory writers was $242,971.
Scientific publications writing focuses on ghostwriting manuscripts that will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. It may also involve the writer in guiding clients in the submission process and strategic selection of a journal. Freelance scientific publications writers had a median gross income of $155,388 in 2024, while employed writers had a median gross income of $124,736.
Promotional medical communications focuses on creating marketing materials. This niche is a great way to blend creativity with science, and often requires fast turnaround times and close collaboration with pharmaceutical agencies and medical device manufacturers.
It tends to pay less than regulatory, CME, or publications work, depending on what type of promotional writing you do. For example, writing promotional materials for a private practice will likely pay less than writing promotional materials for a new drug, and both will likely pay less than some other niches.
While data is lacking on what freelancers in this field make, employed promotional medical writers made a median gross income of $109,626 in 2024.
Patient education involves creating health-related content, such as blogs, brochures, or explainer videos. Similarly to promotional writing, it can be more creative and accessible, although the emphasis shifts from marketing to education, and tends to pay less than regulatory, CME, or scientific publications.
CME (continuing medical education) writing is a niche that sits in a sweet spot. The projects are often quite complex (think needs assessments, slide decks, and outcomes reports), but they are also very meaningful. The work directly leads to healthcare professional education and helps improve patient outcomes in the long term.
Because of the specialized skill set and compliance knowledge that is involved, CME writer revenue is on the high side, particularly for freelance professionals. The median gross revenue for freelance CME writers in 2024 was $184,764 – notably quite higher than the median gross income for employed CME writers, whose median gross income was $115,785.
AMWA Compensation Report on Mean Gross Income for Full-Time Freelance Medical Communicators
Why CME Pays Well (And Why It’s Worth It)
CME writing is a strong and sustainable income stream for a reason. It’s not just about putting words on a page; it’s about shaping education for healthcare professionals that meets rigorous standards and has a chance to impact patient outcomes over time.
Every project demands a specific mix of expertise: accreditation awareness, clinical accuracy, and an understanding of how adults learn. That combination is what makes CME writing both intellectually rewarding and well-compensated.
Because CME budgets are usually funded through grants or educational support, projects are scoped with clear timelines, deliverables, and expectations. While freelancing always carries the possibility of scope creep or unclear instructions, CME work generally comes with structure and respect for your time. Clients know they need writers who can navigate both content and compliance—skills that significantly increase your value.
And here’s the encouraging part: while there is a learning curve, CME is not an inaccessible niche. You don’t need decades of experience to step into it. With the right guidance, support, and practice, you can build the skills to thrive in this field and create a writing career that is both sustainable and rewarding.
How to Increase Your Income in CME Writing
So, is CME writing a good niche to explore if your goal is to grow your income over time and consistently make money in a way that supports your needs? Absolutely. But it definitely helps to have a plan in place.
Start off by specializing. Learn how to write needs assessments, outcomes reports, and educational content. These are high-value types of projects that build your confidence as you write your first portfolio samples. Don’t forget to familiarize yourself with the CME ecosystem – the stakeholders, the global CME landscape, where you fit in as a writer, and who your ideal clients are likely to be.
We place high value on practice and implementation over here in WriteCME Pro. That’s why we include portfolio samples with feedback in our Accelerator program and quarterly sprints to test out working on different client deliverables.
Next, keep building a portfolio that accurately reflects your range of skills. Don’t wait for the “perfect” project to come along, or until you’re ready. Use every single assignment to build your CME muscles.
Don’t forget to keep learning. CME isn’t static - regulations change, new delivery formats (like podcasts or microlearning) are always growing - and the writers who stay current are more likely to be sought-out and paid well.
Once you’ve built a few different frameworks and workflows, you can start to work on improving your productivity and efficiency. That means it will take you less time per project, and you can earn more money per hour.
And finally, trust builds value. Long-term clients are going to lead to steady work, fewer sales calls, and higher freelance CME writing rates that really reflect your greater level of experience.
Growing your income is all about building up your skills, staying curious, developing a passion for educating others, and ensuring that you are someone that clients know they can count on.
Plus, a little secret tip no one wants to hear: it’s about time. Time brings experience, and experience brings not only a roster of returning clients but the confidence to charge what your work is worth.
Build a Sustainable Medical Writing Career in CME
You don’t have to pick between purpose and a paycheck - you can have both.
CME writer income on both the freelance and employee side reflects the level of skill, trust, and impact that this work demands, and luckily for us, it’s a highly freelance-friendly field. With the right support, you can grow a business that is exciting and sustainable for years to come. If you’ve been wondering how to build a meaningful career while also earning a strong medical writing salary, this may be what you’ve been looking for.
If you’re ready to go all in, WriteCME Pro is your roadmap to building a profitable CME writing career. You’ll learn the business, the craft, and how to land high-value projects with clarity and confidence.
If you’re interested in seeing what it’s like inside WriteCME Pro, the perfect opportunity is coming up: our Outcomes Architect Sprint with Greg Salinas on October 9.
I can’t wait to see you there!
