Pay by state · 46 states
Technical Writer Salary by State (2026)
Technical Writers earn the most in New Jersey at $122,320 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $46,950 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $90,390. All 46 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $122,320New Jersey
- National median
- $90,390BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $46,950Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 46of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Technical Writer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of technical writers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NJNew Jersey | $122,320 | $83,150 | $135,010 | 1,550 | $112,421 |
| 2 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $117,810 | $84,990 | $128,610 | 440 | $107,196 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $109,200 | $86,060 | $134,620 | 1,850 | $103,256 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $104,070 | $78,680 | $131,940 | 1,620 | $97,250 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $104,000 | $84,250 | $141,280 | 5,280 | $93,931 |
| 6 | RIRhode Island | $102,360 | $81,780 | $105,640 | 150 | $100,078 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $101,870 | $83,220 | $116,660 | 770 | $98,321 |
| 8 | MDMaryland | $100,990 | $79,730 | $125,440 | 1,780 | $96,219 |
| 9 | COColorado | $100,610 | $82,060 | $123,490 | 1,320 | $97,630 |
| 10 | NYNew York | $98,310 | $73,440 | $121,500 | 1,610 | $91,094 |
| 11 | NHNew Hampshire | $96,300 | $72,810 | $109,430 | 230 | $92,449 |
| 12 | NMNew Mexico | $94,970 | $63,440 | $125,980 | 420 | $102,991 |
| 13 | VAVirginia | $93,600 | $75,510 | $113,510 | 2,280 | $92,578 |
| 14 | DEDelaware | $90,370 | $62,830 | $109,790 | 80 | $90,544 |
| 15 | NVNevada | $88,750 | $70,910 | $104,260 | 230 | $88,769 |
| 16 | ILIllinois | $88,700 | $73,140 | $106,650 | 1,040 | $88,737 |
| 17 | VTVermont | $87,860 | $65,000 | $101,370 | 60 | $89,692 |
| 18 | PAPennsylvania | $87,620 | $71,980 | $105,300 | 1,330 | $89,800 |
| 19 | NCNorth Carolina | $86,320 | $70,390 | $103,590 | 2,860 | $91,512 |
| 20 | FLFlorida | $86,240 | $74,570 | $103,810 | 2,550 | $83,393 |
| 21 | ALAlabama | $85,840 | $74,210 | $104,860 | 630 | $96,642 |
| 22 | MIMichigan | $85,270 | $66,810 | $107,520 | 970 | $88,623 |
| 23 | OROregon | $84,000 | $69,880 | $122,100 | 590 | $81,269 |
| 24 | MNMinnesota | $83,270 | $66,000 | $102,180 | 910 | $84,434 |
| 25 | AKAlaska | $83,200 | $61,920 | $93,500 | 130 | $81,283 |
| 26 | TXTexas | $82,750 | $63,720 | $105,630 | 3,340 | $85,259 |
| 27 | SCSouth Carolina | $82,540 | $66,700 | $103,550 | 700 | $88,044 |
| 28 | KYKentucky | $81,070 | $60,020 | $99,240 | 340 | $89,919 |
| 29 | MOMissouri | $80,840 | $62,440 | $101,770 | 500 | $89,014 |
| 30 | UTUtah | $80,270 | $64,910 | $102,590 | 570 | $81,192 |
| 31 | WIWisconsin | $80,030 | $62,380 | $99,960 | 910 | $85,052 |
| 32 | AZArizona | $79,780 | $67,600 | $100,270 | 730 | $79,244 |
| 33 | TNTennessee | $79,550 | $63,540 | $102,430 | 480 | $86,590 |
| 34 | OHOhio | $76,480 | $61,350 | $99,570 | 1,350 | $82,437 |
| 35 | INIndiana | $75,510 | $63,540 | $89,500 | 540 | $80,907 |
| 36 | MTMontana | $75,070 | $73,340 | $75,330 | 160 | $79,317 |
| 37 | KSKansas | $73,550 | $61,310 | $84,510 | 480 | $81,661 |
| 38 | GAGeorgia | $73,070 | $59,760 | $97,390 | 1,680 | $75,883 |
| 39 | NDNorth Dakota | $72,990 | $54,790 | $110,090 | 70 | $82,049 |
| 40 | OKOklahoma | $69,760 | $57,200 | $83,990 | 600 | $79,414 |
| 41 | IAIowa | $66,520 | $57,660 | $83,760 | 640 | $75,796 |
| 42 | MSMississippi | $65,220 | $60,810 | $80,150 | 70 | $75,006 |
| 43 | LALouisiana | $63,790 | $58,020 | $76,670 | 320 | $72,319 |
| 44 | SDSouth Dakota | $63,350 | $53,730 | $75,500 | 70 | $71,512 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $61,180 | $51,660 | $74,590 | 150 | $70,373 |
| 46 | PRPuerto Rico | $46,950 | $32,200 | $65,970 | 60 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Technical Writers, that changes the ranking: New Jersey leads on raw pay at $122,320, while New Jersey leads once prices are taken into account at $112,421.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Technical Writer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Technical Writers the most?
New Jersey reports the highest median wage for Technical Writers at $122,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($117,810) and Massachusetts ($109,200).
Which state pays Technical Writers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Technical Writers at $46,950 a year, $75,370 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Technical Writers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New Jersey first at $112,421 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $122,320. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.