Technical Writers Salary: $110,175 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 55,530 technical writers nationally earn a mean of $110,175. Employment in the series shown rose about 121% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.1% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Technical Writers: what the data shows
Common questions about technical writers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a technical writers?
Technical Writers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-3042.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 55,530 workers.
What does a technical writers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a technical writers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $91,670 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $110,175 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,575 |
| 25th percentile | $103,170 |
| Median (50th) | $103,170 |
| 75th percentile | $103,170 |
| 90th percentile | $144,966 |
What education do you need?
For Technical Writers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, and knowledge areas including English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administrative, Communications and Media. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is technical writers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 22.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 50.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 55,530.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do technical writerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 55,530 | 20.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 52,980 | 20.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18,610 | 7.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18,610 | 7.0% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 7,290 | 2.8% |
| Information | 6,670 | 2.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Technical Writers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer User Support Specialists | 146,450 | $73,340 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 104,450 | $63,910 |
| Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 195,890 | $46,040 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,266,860 | $66,780 |
| Sales & Office Occupations | 1,441,580 | — |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | 7,600 | $30,460 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Technical Writers workforce.
Employment Over Time
55,530 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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,210 employees, $107,260 avg wage
- TX: 3,670 employees, $81,500 avg wage
- FL: 2,590 employees, $87,110 avg wage
- VA: 2,520 employees, $91,130 avg wage
- NY: 2,030 employees, $89,060 avg wage
- NC: 2,000 employees, $95,740 avg wage
- CO: 1,820 employees, $104,100 avg wage
- MD: 1,770 employees, $97,900 avg wage
- MA: 1,750 employees, $106,090 avg wage
- GA: 1,710 employees, $79,200 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Technical Writers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 8,600 employees, $100,190 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,630 employees, $99,770 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,340 employees, $90,230 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,420 employees, $107,710 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,320 employees, $83,870 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,240 employees, $132,750 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 1,150 employees, $108,180 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 1,110 employees, $104,640 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 970 employees, $80,190 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 940 employees, $146,930 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 55,530 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 55,530 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.