Side-by-side distribution
Medical Writer
$95,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.9%
- Live roles
- 152
Surgeon
$423,939
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.8%
- Live roles
- 598
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Medical Writer
Principal Medical Writer
Principal Medical Writer
Principal Medical Writer
Senior Medical Writer, Clinical and Regulatory Strategic Communications (CRSC)
Senior Staff Medical Writer (Remote)
Principal Medical Writer - Publications
Sr. / Principal Medical Writer (Regulatory focus) - Sponsor-dedicated; NA/CAN/UK
Medical Writer - Clinical Compliance
Medical Writer / Clinical Document Author
Highest-paying jobs
Oral Surgeon
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Mohs Surgeon - Established Volume - Seattle/Puget Sound
Cardiac Surgeon Clinical Associate
Thoracic Surgeon
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Cardiac Surgeon – AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute
PHYSICIAN: Family Medicine with Surgical OB - Virginia, MN
Oral Surgeon
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
MJH Life Sciences
|
$93,750 | 6 |
Costello Medical
|
$70,372 | 5 |
Precision Medicine Group
|
$96,875 | 4 |
Precision AQ
|
$96,875 | 4 |
| SH Syneos Health | $128,150 | 3 |
GSK
|
$81,544 | 2 |
| IN Inotiv | $60,500 | 2 |
TANK Worldwide
|
$58,005 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Aspen Dental
|
$7,250 | 20 |
| ME Medivet | $83,216 | 14 |
Trinity Health
|
$730,000 | 9 |
Rochester Regional Health
|
$425,000 | 9 |
| MO Montefiore | $175,198 | 9 |
| HM Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians | $591,225 | 8 |
|
Essentia Health
|
$1,000,000 | 7 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $550,000 | 6 |
Medical Writer vs Surgeon: which pays more?
The median for Medical Writer is $95,000 per year (typically $85,234–$126,988), versus $423,939 for Surgeon ($150,000–$608,250). That puts Surgeon about 346% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Medical Writer and Surgeon are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.