The median pay for Technical Writers is $90,390 a year ($43.46/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 0.8% through 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-3042
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Technical Writer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $90,390a year, or $43.46/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $57KTop 10% $145K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.8%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,20046,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202546.4K
- Projected 203546.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 46.4K Projected 2035 46.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate6.9%
- Some college15.9%
- Associate's35.3%
- Bachelor's33%
- Post-bacc certificate2.5%
- Master's5.5%
Highest education held by technical writers Segment Value Certificate 6.9% Some college 15.9% Associate's 35.3% Bachelor's 33% Post-bacc certificate 2.5% Master's 5.5%
Also advertised as: Com Writer, Engineering Writer, Global Technical Writer, Grant Writer, Medical Writer, Narrative Writer.
Pay
How much do Technical Writers make?
Every technical writer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$90,390
Middle half earn $70,880 to $115,510
- 10th
- $57,440
- 25th
- $70,880
- 75th
- $115,510
- 90th
- $145,270
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $57,440 |
| 25th | $70,880 |
| Median | $90,390 |
| 75th | $115,510 |
| 90th | $145,270 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $90,390
- Median hourly wage
- $43.46/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $96,970
- People employed
- 45,500
Versus all US occupations
At $90,390, Technical Writers earn 77% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $39,410 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 33% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $145,270 or more while the bottom 10% earn $57,440, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 67% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $122,320, and still leads at $112,421 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Technical Writers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $122,320 | $112,421 | 1,550 |
| 2District of Columbia | $117,810 | $107,196 | 440 |
| 3Massachusetts | $109,200 | $103,256 | 1,850 |
| 4Washington | $104,070 | $97,250 | 1,620 |
| 5California | $104,000 | $93,931 | 5,280 |
| 6Rhode Island | $102,360 | $100,078 | 150 |
| 7Connecticut | $101,870 | $98,321 | 770 |
| 8Maryland | $100,990 | $96,219 | 1,780 |
| 9Colorado | $100,610 | $97,630 | 1,320 |
| 10New York | $98,310 | $91,094 | 1,610 |
Job outlook
Is Technical Writer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Technical Writers | +0.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Technical Writers to change 0.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,200 openings are projected each year, 6.9% of the 46,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 3,200 openings for technical writers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
As product innovation continues, technical writers are expected to be needed to convert complex information into a format that nontechnical users of these products understand. The continuing expansion of scientific and technical products and growth in digital product support needs is projected to drive employment demand for these writers. However, employment growth may be slowed by artificial intelligence (AI) tools that allow these workers to be more productive.
Getting in
How to become a Technical Writer
Technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. In addition, knowledge of or experience with a technical subject, such as science or engineering, is beneficial.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as technical writers.
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree35.3%
- Bachelor's Degree33%
- Some College Courses15.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.9%
- Master's Degree5.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 35.3% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 33% |
| Some College Courses | 15.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.9% |
| Master's Degree | 5.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Technical Writer do?
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels.
Day-to-day 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.
- Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
- Assist in laying out material for publication.
- Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
- Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
- Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Technical writers may be expected to work evenings and weekends to meet deadlines.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where technical writers work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Professional, scientific, and technical services39%
- Manufacturing13%
- Information13%
- Administrative and support services8%
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 39% |
| Manufacturing | 13% |
| Information | 13% |
| Administrative and support services | 8% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 4% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Writing4.9
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Writing | 4.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Negotiation2.6
- Instructing2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Negotiation | 2.6 |
| Instructing | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Technical Writer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Technical Writer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Conventional5.3
- Artistic4.2
- Investigative3.7
- Realistic2.8
- Social2.0
- Enterprising2.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Technical Writer
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Business and Financial Operations
- Office and Administrative Support
- Computer and Mathematical
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with technical writers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Interpreter and Translator$60,170
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Interpreter and Translator | $60,170 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within technical writer
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Technical Writer appears on
Questions
Technical Writer: frequently asked questions
How much do Technical Writers make?
Technical Writers earn a median of $90,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 77% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $43.46/hr. The middle half earn between $70,880 and $115,510. The top 10% earn $145,270 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Technical Writer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Technical Writers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 35.3% hold associate's degree or other 2-year degree.
Is Technical Writer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Technical Writer do?
Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. A core O*NET task: organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Computer aided design CAD software.
Which states pay Technical Writers the most?
The highest state medians for Technical Writers are New Jersey ($122,320), District of Columbia ($117,810), Massachusetts ($109,200) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Technical Writer?
O*NET scores Technical Writers highest on the Conventional, Artistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.