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Technical Writer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of technical writers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$90,390
Hourly
$43.46
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Technical Writers write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. The median pay is $90,390 a year ($43.46 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is an associate's degree (35% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$90,390
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
45,500
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
35% of workers
Explore the role

Every page for Technical Writers

SalaryTechnical Writer salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeTechnical Writer how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeTechnical Writer resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What technical writers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
  2. Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
  3. Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.
  4. Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
  5. Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
  6. Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
  7. Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
  8. Assist in laying out material for publication.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

WritingcoreReading ComprehensioncoreActive ListeningcoreSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive LearningJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementCoordination

Knowledge areas: English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administrative, Communications and Media, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security.

Tools and technology

Software technical writers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Atlassian JIRAContent workflow softwareIn demand
  • Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorksComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Epic SystemsMedical softwareHot technology
  • GitFile versioning softwareHot technology
  • GitHubApplication server softwareHot technology

Also called: Com Writer, Engineering Writer, Global Technical Writer, Grant Writer, Medical Writer, Narrative Writer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).