Technical writers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,440 | $27.62 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $90,390 | $43.46 |
| Mean (average) | $96,970 | $46.62 |
| 90th percentile | $145,270 | $69.84 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Technical writers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $85,840 | $60,700 | $123,140 | 630 | 1.01 |
| Alaska | $83,200 | $61,020 | $102,120 | 130 | 1.35 |
| Arizona | $79,780 | $60,100 | $119,930 | 730 | 0.77 |
| Arkansas | $61,180 | $45,170 | $81,330 | 150 | 0.39 |
| California | $104,000 | $69,630 | $175,510 | 5,280 | 0.99 |
| Colorado | $100,610 | $69,730 | $160,950 | 1,320 | 1.57 |
| Connecticut | $101,870 | $63,710 | $127,830 | 770 | 1.54 |
| Delaware | $90,370 | $60,990 | $117,210 | 80 | 0.54 |
| District of Columbia | $117,810 | $74,720 | $148,770 | 440 | 2.15 |
| Florida | $86,240 | $59,520 | $132,380 | 2,550 | 0.88 |
| Georgia | $73,070 | $57,970 | $122,290 | 1,680 | 1.17 |
| Hawaii | Data unavailable | 30 | 0.17 | ||
| Idaho | Data unavailable | 430 | 1.73 | ||
| Illinois | $88,700 | $58,800 | $130,890 | 1,040 | 0.58 |
| Indiana | $75,510 | $52,350 | $106,680 | 540 | 0.58 |
| Iowa | $66,520 | $52,750 | $98,970 | 640 | 1.4 |
| Kansas | $73,550 | $49,250 | $102,440 | 480 | 1.13 |
| Kentucky | $81,070 | $54,300 | $120,350 | 340 | 0.59 |
| Louisiana | $63,790 | $53,220 | $94,680 | 320 | 0.57 |
| Maine | Data unavailable | 310 | 1.65 | ||
| Maryland | $100,990 | $72,880 | $149,740 | 1,780 | 2.2 |
| Massachusetts | $109,200 | $71,120 | $165,060 | 1,850 | 1.74 |
| Michigan | $85,270 | $57,600 | $127,070 | 970 | 0.75 |
| Minnesota | $83,270 | $58,670 | $127,390 | 910 | 1.05 |
| Mississippi | $65,220 | $45,740 | $85,980 | 70 | 0.21 |
| Missouri | $80,840 | $51,170 | $192,040 | 500 | 0.58 |
| Montana | $75,070 | $65,630 | $89,280 | 160 | 1.07 |
| Nebraska | Data unavailable | 190 | 0.64 | ||
| Nevada | $88,750 | $56,710 | $124,800 | 230 | 0.51 |
| New Hampshire | $96,300 | $63,500 | $130,970 | 230 | 1.16 |
| New Jersey | $122,320 | $69,400 | $163,390 | 1,550 | 1.24 |
| New Mexico | $94,970 | $53,280 | $130,260 | 420 | 1.66 |
| New York | $98,310 | $53,560 | $152,570 | 1,610 | 0.57 |
| North Carolina | $86,320 | $53,790 | $139,950 | 2,860 | 1.98 |
| North Dakota | $72,990 | $50,460 | $110,150 | 70 | 0.59 |
| Ohio | $76,480 | $48,970 | $125,150 | 1,350 | 0.83 |
| Oklahoma | $69,760 | $48,130 | $103,440 | 600 | 1.21 |
| Oregon | $84,000 | $58,990 | $150,220 | 590 | 1.02 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,620 | $54,220 | $158,180 | 1,330 | 0.75 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,950 | $28,440 | $97,070 | 60 | 0.21 |
| Rhode Island | $102,360 | $77,480 | $115,380 | 150 | 1.04 |
| South Carolina | $82,540 | $57,360 | $120,930 | 700 | 1.04 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 | $49,490 | $84,090 | 70 | 0.49 |
| Tennessee | $79,550 | $50,430 | $108,890 | 480 | 0.5 |
| Texas | $82,750 | $50,590 | $127,920 | 3,340 | 0.81 |
| Utah | $80,270 | $50,610 | $132,590 | 570 | 1.12 |
| Vermont | $87,860 | $61,220 | $223,650 | 60 | 0.72 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $60,930 | $139,470 | 2,280 | 1.9 |
| Washington | $104,070 | $60,420 | $169,810 | 1,620 | 1.56 |
| West Virginia | Data unavailable | 130 | 0.63 | ||
| Wisconsin | $80,030 | $56,460 | $119,930 | 910 | 1.05 |
| Wyoming | Data unavailable | 30 | 0.37 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for technical writers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for technical writers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Technical and Scientific Communication CIP 09.0908
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication CIP 19.0202
- Writing, General CIP 23.1301
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing CIP 23.1303
- Business/Corporate Communications, General CIP 52.0501
- Grantsmanship CIP 52.0502
- Business/Corporate Communications, Other CIP 52.0599
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
- Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
- Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.
- Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
- Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
- Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
- Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
- Assist in laying out material for publication.
Technology skills
- Atlassian Confluence (in demand)
- Atlassian JIRA (in demand)
- Extensible markup language XML (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft SharePoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Visio (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination, Persuasion, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Com Writer, Engineering Writer, Global Technical Writer, Grant Writer, Medical Writer, Narrative Writer, Principal Technical Writer, Requirements Analyst, Technical Report Writer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do technical writers make?
The national median annual wage for technical writers was $90,390 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $57,440 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $145,270. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do technical writers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is technical writers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of technical writers to change +0.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay technical writers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Jersey ($122,320), District of Columbia ($117,810), Massachusetts ($109,200). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.