50 Publications Paying for Science Writing

Earn up to $2/word with this extensive list of science writing opportunities.

Looking to pitch your next science story, essay, or investigation?

Today we’re sharing a roundup of publications that pay for science writin, spanning everything from physics and climate to psychology, space, health, and the weird, wonderful edges of human knowledge.

And here’s the thing: you don’t need a PhD, a lab coat, or a decade of specialist bylines to pitch these outlets. Many of the publications on this list are actively looking for curious, skilled writers who can take complex ideas and make them vivid, accessible, and genuinely compelling for a broad audience.

If you can ask sharp questions, find the human story inside the research, and write clearly about things that matter, there’s a place for you here.

Each listing includes pay rates (sourced directly from published guidelines or noted as writer reports where applicable), direct links to pitch guidelines or editorial contact pages, and a clear breakdown of what each outlet actually commissions.

If you have insights into specific details, or if you’ve been offered different terms than those listed here, please let me know by replying to this email or by messaging me on Substack.

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50 Publications Paying for Science Writing

MIT Technology Review is a digitally oriented independent media company that explains the social and political impacts of the newest technologies. The magazine is wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and published bi-monthly. The magazine accepts pitches for news, features, profiles, op-eds, and more (related to a specific publication theme). They pay $1-$2/word for reported pieces. Pitch details here.

STAT News covers health, medicine, and scientific discovery. Think labs, hospitals, biotech companies, patient experiences, and the ideas changing how we think about science and medicine. They do not want consumer wellness or breaking news. Pay is $1/word, and can go higher for deeply reported pieces. Pitch guidelines here.

New Scientist is looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience—be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. Pay rates are often in the $0.70-$1/word range. Full details here.

Science is a leading outlet for scientific news, commentary, and research. Science covers news in all areas of science, from geology to genetics, as well as science policy and issues important to the scientific community, such as science, technology, engineering, and math education and sexual harassment. They make it a priority to include women and people of color as quoted sources in their work to capture a range of perspectives. Starts at $1/word for online-only stories and $1.25/word for print-only stories. Details here.