#MedComms Freelancing Barometer 2025

This article was originally posted by the MedComms Workbook on LinkedIn on 6th February 2025. You can see the original article here.

Introduction

We invited all specialist freelancers who currently work in and around MedComms (specialist medical education, medical communications and medical publishing activities) to participate in this survey. It ran during 1–31 January 2025. Participation was on an entirely anonymous basis, and the results are freely available for everyone to browse after 1 February 2025. You can access the results here.

We aim to provide a useful barometer of sentiment amongst the global community of specialist freelancers. We will be able to compare and contrast with the data collected in January 2024 by Peter Llewellyn, Director of NetworkPharma Ltd and Manager of the MedComms Networking community activities. These data can be accessed here, and you can watch the results webinar here. This survey was organised by Eleanor Steele, the MedComms Mentor and manager of the MedComms Workbook, in collaboration with Peter Llewellyn.

A dedicated results webinar will be held on 13 February (1pm UK time) hosted by Peter Llewellyn, featuring Lisa Baker, PhD, CMPP (Freelancers in Pubs), Adriana Rocha, PhD (EMWA Freelance Business Group), and Eleanor Steele (MedComms Workbook) discussing key findings. Sign up here to join the webinar.

Who responded?

In 2025, 344 people responded, compared with 550 in 2024 – we’ll be exploring this difference, and potential reasons behind it, in the webinar!

Of these 344:

• 52% were from the UK, 21% were from Europe, 19% were from the US and Canada and 5% were from the rest of the world

• 76% were medical writers, 8% were editors, 5% provide client services support, and a range of other roles were reported by 1–10 individuals

• 93% said their freelance work was their sole income

These responses are broadly similar to those received in 2024, though obviously we don’t know if the same people responded in both years.

Freelance workflow and income

There has been a lot of discussion about how tough things are in the industry over the last couple of years. In 2024, 53% of respondents reported that they had not worked as many hours as they wanted and 45% reported that their income over the last year was less than expected. While 45% reported that their income had been as expected, only 10% earned more than expected.

The responses in 2025 are looking a little rosier, though there is definitely still room for improvement!

• 55% had worked as many as hours as they wanted

• Only 35% reported a lower income than expected

• 15% said their income was more than expected

In terms of average hourly or daily rate, in 2024, 7% reported decreasing their rates, while 35% increased what they were charging and 54% said their rates had stayed the same as the previous year.

Interestingly, the 2025 results were almost identical. The biggest change was that the people who reported that they didn’t know what had happened to their average hourly/daily rate dropped from 5% in 2024 to 3% in 2025! That’s a step in the right direction…

Freelance clients

Freelancers typically work with multiple clients over a year, but some do this sequentially while others juggle projects from several clients at the same time.

In 2024, 43% of freelancers reported that they worked with 1–3 clients, while this went down to 39% in 2025.

The opposite trend was observed for the proportion of people working with 4–6 clients – in 2024, this was reported by 35% but had risen to 45% in 2025.

Around 14% reported working with 7–10 clients in both 2024 and 2025, while 5% in 2024 and 8% in 2025 reported working with 11–20 clients.

In both years, approximately 1% of respondents said they worked with more than 20 clients!

While this picture makes it sound as though most freelancers have a diverse client base, it was interesting to see that in both 2024 and 2025, 44% reported that over half of their annual income actually came from their single biggest client.

But where do freelancers get their clients from? Judging by the responses to these surveys, it’s not via recruiters. In 2024, 85% said they had not got any freelance work via a recruiter, and in 2025, this had slightly risen to 88%.

Job satisfaction

The majority of freelancers reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with their freelance role in both 2024 and 2025. Most also reported that they were unlikely to stop freelancing in the next year.

Interestingly, the proportion of people who responded that they might stop freelancing if an in-house opportunity dropped from 19% in 2024 to 12% in 2025.

AI

Having dominated the conversation in most industries over the past year, it was particularly interesting to see how responses about AI usage had changed from 2024 to 2025.

60% of respondents said they did not routinely use GenAI tools in 2024, with only 6% reporting that they used them a lot.

In 2025:

• 42% said they don’t routinely use GenAI tools

• 47% said they use a little

• 11% said they use them a lot

As Matthew Strawbridge explored in his post on this particular question, this indicates that MedComms freelancers are pretty cautious about AI use, but there is growing curiosity.

The free text answers accompanying the question also included details of how people are using GenAI, with very few reporting using AI for content creation beyond brainstorming or idea generation. Data confidentiality concerns and client prohibitions were listed as key reasons for this, though many felt the available tools are not (yet?) up to the job of creating accurate and complex scientific content.

Growing curiosity about AI and its potential in MedComms also came through strongly in the question about training topics. In both 2024 and 2025, around 60% of respondents said they would be interested in training on AI for MedComms freelancers.

The state of the industry

I turned to AI myself to help summarise the 70 responses we received the question, ‘Do you have any general comments at all to offer about the current state of the MedComms business, the Pharma industry, this survey or about life in general?’

Google Gemini provided the following lightly edited summary of key themes:

Freelance Market Dynamics:

• Fluctuations in Demand: Many respondents noted fluctuations in the availability of freelance work, with some reporting a slowdown in 2023 followed by improvements in 2024. Others noted a continued decline in work availability.

• Freelancer Saturation: Some believe the growing pool of freelancers may be contributing to increased competition for projects.

• Agency Behaviour: Several respondents expressed concerns about agencies reducing their reliance on freelancers, potentially due to cost-cutting measures or IR35 regulations.

• Pharma Budget Cuts: Some respondents believe budget cuts in the pharmaceutical industry are impacting agencies and filtering down to freelancers.

Industry Trends:

• AI Impact: The rise of AI is a significant concern for many freelancers, who worry about its potential to devalue their skills and the need to adapt to working with AI-generated content.

• Medical Education Growth: The increasing complexity of treatments, particularly in oncology, is expected to drive demand for medical education programs.

• LinkedIn Noise: Some respondents expressed frustration with the quality of content on LinkedIn, particularly the abundance of "thought leadership" and self-congratulatory posts.

Freelancer Challenges:

• Compensation: Some respondents feel that compensation for medical communications work is not keeping pace with the demands placed on employees and freelancers.

• Job Security: Many freelancers experience uncertainty and instability in their work, particularly in light of industry changes and economic conditions.

• Networking: Some respondents desire more networking opportunities, particularly for freelancers with specific experience levels or backgrounds.

General Sentiments:

• Optimism: Despite challenges, some respondents remain optimistic about the future of the MedComms business and their prospects as freelancers.

• Gratitude: Several respondents expressed appreciation for the survey and its value in providing insights into the industry.

• Concerns about the Future: Some respondents expressed concerns about the effects of the broader political and economic landscape, including the climate crisis and potential conflicts.

Additional Points:

• The rising cost of living is a concern for some freelancers.

• Some respondents noted the increasing trend of tailoring global materials to specific regional markets.

• The importance of specialization within medical communications was emphasized.

• The need for greater awareness of the benefits of hiring freelancers was mentioned.

Conclusion

The 2025 #MedComms Freelancing Barometer reveals a mixed but generally improving landscape for freelancers. While overall response numbers were down from 2024, the data shows positive trends in work satisfaction and income expectations.

The majority of freelancers continue to be satisfied with their roles, with fewer considering a return to in-house positions. There's a notable increase in AI adoption, though its use remains cautious and limited. While the industry faces ongoing challenges including market fluctuations and increasing competition, freelancers generally maintain an optimistic outlook while adapting to evolving industry demands and technological changes.