Side-by-side distribution
Medical Writer
$108,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.3%
- Live roles
- 166
Surgeon
$410,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.4%
- Live roles
- 758
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Medical Writer
Freelance Medical Writer
Principal Medical Writer
Sr. Principal Medical Writer - Regulatory Submission Docs (ISE/ISS/Clinical Overview - Must Have)
Sponsor Dedicated - Sr. Principal Medical Writer - Regulatory Submission Docs (ISE/ISS/Clinical Overview - Must Have)
Principal Medical Writer
Senior Medical Writer, Clinical and Regulatory Strategic Communications (CRSC)
Senior Medical Writer / Senior Project Manager, Clinical Evaluation
Senior Medical Writer
Sponsor Dedicated - Senior Medical Writer (Regulatory Documents - CSR, Protocols, IB) - North America or EMEA
Highest-paying jobs
Oral Surgeon
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Physician Orthopedic Surgeon (Total Joint)
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
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| SH Syneos Health | $128,150 | 9 |
MJH Life Sciences
|
$90,000 | 6 |
Costello Medical
|
$69,632 | 5 |
Precision Medicine Group
|
$102,500 | 4 |
Precision AQ
|
$110,000 | 3 |
BeOne Medicines
|
$129,250 | 2 |
|
Abbott
|
$126,000 | 2 |
| ME Medtronic | $120,500 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Skilled Wound Care
|
$375,000 | 139 |
|
Aspen Dental
|
$7,500 | 19 |
| ME Medivet | $82,627 | 13 |
| MO Montefiore | $171,340 | 10 |
Trinity Health
|
$730,000 | 9 |
| HM Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians | $591,225 | 8 |
Rochester Regional Health
|
$387,500 | 8 |
Platinum Dermatology Partners - Physicians
|
$450,000 | 7 |
Surgeon salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $375,000 | 6 |
| Austin | $375,000 | 6 |
| New York | $350,000 | 6 |
| London | $91,377 | 6 |
Medical Writer vs Surgeon: which pays more?
The median for Medical Writer is $108,000 per year (typically $86,250–$128,150), versus $410,000 for Surgeon ($156,000–$610,000). That puts Surgeon about 280% 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.