Technical Writers
Technical Writers earn an average annual salary of $110,175, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 120.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Technical Writers workforce.
Employment Over Time
13,210 Workforce in 2023
The Technical Writers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Technical Writers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$110,175 Average Wage
In 2023, Technical Writers earned an average of $110,175.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Technical Writers.
Salary distribution for Technical Writers.
Employment Growth Projections
4.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
62,323 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 22.5%
76,370 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 50.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Technical Writers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Technical Writers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Technical Writers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Technical Writers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Technical Writers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Technical Writers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 12,190 employees, $110,063 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Technical Writers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 7,860 employees, $102,812 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 940 employees, $150,923 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 810 employees, $142,477 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 740 employees, $104,020 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 570 employees, $108,953 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 420 employees, $125,225 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 250 employees, $94,860 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 160 employees, $94,264 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 70 employees, $94,665 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 60 employees, $87,351 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Technical Writers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Technical Writers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Technical Writers in 2023 was 13,210 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Technical Writers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Technical Writers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Technical Writers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Technical Writers in 2023 were Business Administration, Communications, Journalism.
Common majors for Technical Writers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Technical Writers workers.
Education level distribution for Technical Writers.
Skills
Technical Writers need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Technical Writers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Technical Writers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Technical Writers include English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administrative, Communications and Media, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Technical Writers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Technical Writers include Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Technical Writers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Technical Writers.
Daily Activities
Technical Writers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Technical Writers.
About
Technical Writers
The average yearly wage for Technical Writers was $110,175 in 2023.
SOC Code
27-3042 - Technical Writers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Technical Writers reports an average salary of $110,175, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 13,210 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.