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Technical Writer

$90,390
median / year
$57,440 – $145,270
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Turn complex information into clear guides, manuals, and instructions people can actually use.

You may also see this posted as: Documentation Specialist, Information Developer, Technical Communicator, Documentation Designer, Engineering Writer, Medical Writer.

Where you work

Offices or remote; at a desk, writing and researching.

The hours

Usually full-time; some deadline pressure.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.
  • Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
  • Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityIntellectual CuriosityAchievement Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Atlassian ConfluenceAtlassian JIRAExtensible markup language XMLMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Outlook

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$90,390
per year
Hourly median
$43.46
per hour
What most earn
$57,440–$145,270
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~4,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+0.9%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
45,500
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Writing skill + a technical domain.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years.

On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required; writing samples matter most.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

WritingAttention to detailCommunicationTechnical aptitude

The honest take

The best-paid pure-writing job in the economy.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-3042. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.