Tech Writers
Training and Education
| Fast Facts* | |
|---|---|
| Recommended Degree Level | Bachelor |
| Salary, Typical | $65,500 |
| Salary Range | |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 46,160 |
| Annual Job Growth Rate | 3.4% |
| Job Openings per Year (est.) | 1,830 |
A bachelor's degree is often required to work in this field. Survey data provided by the government shows that 74% of employees have a bachelor's degree or higher. 18% of tech writers attended college, but do not have a degree. 7% of workers were able to find a job with only a high school education.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
Of those working as employees, 7% work fewer than 40 hours per week. Around 6% of tech writers are independent contractors.
Area Job Conditions
On a per capita basis, there are more jobs for employees in Warner Robins (Georgia), Framingham (Massachusetts), and Lowell (Massachusetts), and fewer jobs in Columbia (South Carolina), Greensboro (North Carolina), and Nashville (Tennessee).
Compensation for tech writers is the most in San Jose (California), Framingham (Massachusetts), and San Francisco (California), and the lowest in Springfield (Missouri), Missoula (Montana), and Port St. Lucie (Florida).
Video Overview
Briefly introduces what tech writers do. Produced for the US Department of Labor.
Salaries by City
See typical salaries and ranges for this career below*. Shift click to sort by more than one column -- for example first shift-click on state and then shift-click on salary to find best and worst salaries in each state.
| State | City / Region | Typical Salary | Salary Range | Job Count | % of All Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Anchorage | $58,730 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| AL | Anniston - Oxford | $52,190 | 40 | 0.08% | |
| AL | Birmingham - Hoover | $47,230 | 120 | 0.02% | |
| AL | Huntsville | $61,100 | 370 | 0.18% | |
| AL | Mobile | $42,840 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| AL | Montgomery | $51,100 | 40 | 0.02% | |
| AR | Little Rock - North Little Rock - Conway | $37,980 | 80 | 0.02% | |
| AZ | Phoenix - Mesa - Glendale | $60,450 | 550 | 0.03% | |
| AZ | Tucson | $57,760 | 240 | 0.07% | |
| CA | Bakersfield - Delano | $65,860 | 40 | 0.02% | |
| CA | Los Angeles - Long Beach - Glendale (Metro Area) | $73,710 | 970 | 0.02% | |
| CA | Oakland - Fremont - Hayward (Metro Area) | $84,620 | 460 | 0.05% | |
| CA | Oxnard - Thousand Oaks - Ventura | $79,950 | 170 | 0.06% | |
| CA | Riverside - San Bernardino - Ontario | $69,690 | 200 | 0.02% | |
| CA | Sacramento - Arden - Arcade - Roseville | $68,780 | 210 | 0.03% | |
| CA | San Diego - Carlsbad - San Marcos | $70,720 | 930 | 0.07% | |
| CA | San Francisco - San Mateo - Redwood City (Metro Area) | $88,160 | 700 | 0.07% | |
| CA | San Jose - Sunnyvale - Santa Clara | $99,690 | 1,200 | 0.13% | |
| CA | San Luis Obispo - Paso Robles | $100,710 | 30 | 0.03% | |
| CA | Santa Ana - Anaheim - Irvine (Metro Area) | $65,600 | 530 | 0.04% | |
| CA | Santa Barbara - Santa Maria - Goleta | $75,110 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| CA | Santa Cruz - Watsonville | N/A | 30 | 0.04% | |
| CA | Santa Rosa - Petaluma | $68,440 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| CA | Vallejo - Fairfield | $85,100 | 30 | 0.03% | |
| CO | Boulder | $68,970 | 170 | 0.11% | |
| CO | Colorado Springs | $57,100 | 200 | 0.08% | |
| CO | Denver - Aurora - Broomfield | $65,710 | 850 | 0.07% | |
| CO | Fort Collins - Loveland | $72,280 | 80 | 0.06% | |
| CT | Bridgeport - Stamford - Norwalk | $74,580 | 210 | 0.05% | |
| CT | Hartford - West Hartford - East Hartford | $81,860 | 430 | 0.08% | |
| CT | New Haven | $77,760 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| CT | Norwich - New London | $69,680 | 260 | 0.20% | |
| DC | Washington - Arlington - Alexandria (Metro Area) | $73,710 | 3,180 | 0.14% | |
| DE | Wilmington (Metro Area) | $60,930 | 140 | 0.04% | |
| FL | Fort Lauderdale - Pompano Beach - Deerfield Beach (Metro Area) | $67,310 | 150 | 0.02% | |
| FL | Jacksonville | $72,700 | 130 | 0.02% | |
| FL | Miami - Miami Beach - Kendall (Metro Area) | $54,390 | 140 | 0.01% | |
| FL | North Port - Bradenton - Sarasota | $55,680 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| FL | Orlando - Kissimmee - Sanford | $60,370 | 420 | 0.04% | |
| FL | Palm Bay - Melbourne - Titusville | $62,450 | 110 | 0.06% | |
| FL | Panama City - Lynn Haven - Panama City Beach | $65,050 | 30 | 0.05% | |
| FL | Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater | $56,960 | 350 | 0.03% | |
| FL | West Palm Beach - Boca Raton - Boynton Beach (Metro Area) | $53,050 | 90 | 0.02% | |
| GA | Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta | $68,900 | 730 | 0.03% | |
| GA | Augusta - Richmond County | $61,390 | 40 | 0.02% | |
| GA | Savannah | $76,170 | 80 | 0.06% | |
| GA | Warner Robins | $59,300 | 100 | 0.17% | |
| HI | Honolulu | $63,960 | 50 | 0.01% | |
| IA | Cedar Rapids | $47,720 | 90 | 0.06% | |
| IA | Des Moines - West Des Moines | $45,660 | 150 | 0.05% | |
| IA | Dubuque | $44,570 | 60 | 0.11% | |
| IA | Iowa City | $59,040 | 70 | 0.08% | |
| IA | Waterloo - Cedar Falls | $44,740 | 50 | 0.06% | |
| ID | Boise City - Nampa | $59,710 | 140 | 0.05% | |
| IL | Chicago - Joliet - Naperville (Metro Area) | $63,070 | 660 | 0.02% | |
| IL | Lake County - Kenosha County (Metro Area) | $67,930 | 300 | 0.08% | |
| IN | Fort Wayne | $56,970 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| IN | Gary (Metro Area) | $47,560 | 30 | 0.01% | |
| IN | Indianapolis - Carmel | $57,640 | 430 | 0.05% | |
| KS | Wichita | $59,920 | 330 | 0.12% | |
| KY | Lexington - Fayette | $49,460 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| KY | Louisville - Jefferson County | $45,200 | 70 | 0.01% | |
| LA | Baton Rouge | $73,160 | 50 | 0.01% | |
| LA | Houma - Bayou Cane - Thibodaux | $31,010 | 50 | 0.05% | |
| LA | New Orleans - Metairie - Kenner | $46,680 | 30 | 0.01% | |
| MA | Boston - Cambridge - Quincy (Metro Area) | $80,320 | 1,270 | 0.07% | |
| MA | Framingham (Metro Area) | $75,690 | 270 | 0.17% | |
| MA | Lowell - Billerica - Chelmsford (Metro Area) | $93,400 | 150 | 0.13% | |
| MA | Springfield | $66,820 | 30 | 0.01% | |
| MA | Worcester | $78,990 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| MD | Baltimore - Towson | $71,400 | 740 | 0.06% | |
| MD | Bethesda - Rockville - Frederick (Metro Area) | $76,000 | 840 | 0.15% | |
| MD | Hagerstown - Martinsburg | $60,240 | N/A | N/A | |
| ME | Portland - South Portland - Biddeford | $47,000 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| MI | Ann Arbor | $55,550 | 160 | 0.08% | |
| MI | Detroit - Livonia - Dearborn (Metro Area) | $58,540 | 290 | 0.04% | |
| MI | Grand Rapids - Wyoming | $57,750 | 70 | 0.02% | |
| MI | Holland - Grand Haven | $52,850 | 40 | 0.04% | |
| MI | Kalamazoo - Portage | $51,790 | 90 | 0.07% | |
| MI | Lansing - East Lansing | $50,680 | N/A | N/A | |
| MI | Warren - Troy - Farmington Hills (Metro Area) | $62,110 | 640 | 0.06% | |
| MN | Minneapolis - St. Paul - Bloomington | $61,850 | 890 | 0.05% | |
| MO | Kansas City | $55,670 | 390 | 0.04% | |
| MO | Springfield | $41,300 | 60 | 0.03% | |
| MO | St. Louis | $62,220 | 600 | 0.05% | |
| NC | Charlotte - Gastonia - Rock Hill | $63,670 | 340 | 0.04% | |
| NC | Durham - Chapel Hill | $74,800 | 240 | 0.09% | |
| NC | Greensboro - High Point | $55,980 | 40 | 0.01% | |
| NC | Raleigh - Cary | $70,190 | 500 | 0.10% | |
| NE | Lincoln | $43,400 | 80 | 0.05% | |
| NE | Omaha - Council Bluffs | $54,110 | 150 | 0.03% | |
| NH | Manchester | $58,390 | 30 | 0.03% | |
| NH | Nashua (Metro Area) | $65,480 | 70 | 0.05% | |
| NH | Portsmouth | $60,620 | 30 | 0.06% | |
| NJ | Atlantic City - Hammonton | $64,110 | 70 | 0.05% | |
| NJ | Camden (Metro Area) | $58,010 | 170 | 0.03% | |
| NJ | Edison - New Brunswick (Metro Area) | $73,330 | 490 | 0.05% | |
| NJ | Newark - Union (Metro Area) | $69,980 | 490 | 0.05% | |
| NJ | Trenton - Ewing | $75,450 | 130 | 0.06% | |
| NM | Albuquerque | $61,540 | 280 | 0.08% | |
| NV | Las Vegas - Paradise | $61,210 | 110 | 0.01% | |
| NV | Reno - Sparks | $55,130 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| NY | Albany - Schenectady - Troy | $65,020 | 80 | 0.02% | |
| NY | Binghamton | $49,750 | N/A | N/A | |
| NY | Buffalo - Niagara Falls | $46,150 | 110 | 0.02% | |
| NY | Nassau - Suffolk (Metro Area) | $64,590 | 370 | 0.03% | |
| NY | New York - White Plains - Wayne (Metro Area) | $71,750 | 1,350 | 0.03% | |
| NY | Rochester | $63,160 | 170 | 0.03% | |
| NY | Syracuse | $59,730 | 70 | 0.02% | |
| OH | Akron | $47,880 | 110 | 0.03% | |
| OH | Cincinnati - Middletown | $62,000 | 290 | 0.03% | |
| OH | Cleveland - Elyria - Mentor | $50,410 | 260 | 0.03% | |
| OH | Columbus | $57,100 | 210 | 0.02% | |
| OH | Dayton | $61,640 | 120 | 0.03% | |
| OK | Oklahoma City | $56,600 | 230 | 0.04% | |
| OK | Tulsa | $49,140 | 160 | 0.04% | |
| OR | Portland - Vancouver - Hillsboro | $79,170 | 530 | 0.05% | |
| PA | Allentown - Bethlehem - Easton | $68,800 | 60 | 0.02% | |
| PA | Harrisburg - Carlisle | $58,860 | 110 | 0.03% | |
| PA | Lancaster | $64,100 | 30 | 0.02% | |
| PA | Philadelphia (Metro Area) | $73,660 | 820 | 0.04% | |
| PA | Pittsburgh | $60,470 | 370 | 0.03% | |
| PA | Scranton - Wilkes - Barre | $44,940 | 40 | 0.01% | |
| PA | State College | $65,850 | 30 | 0.05% | |
| PA | York - Hanover | $52,850 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| PR | San Juan - Caguas - Guaynabo | $31,920 | 90 | 0.01% | |
| RI | Providence - Fall River - Warwick | $65,450 | 260 | 0.05% | |
| SC | Charleston - North Charleston - Summerville | $60,050 | 90 | 0.03% | |
| SC | Columbia | $58,800 | 50 | 0.01% | |
| SC | Greenville - Mauldin - Easley | $47,470 | 40 | 0.01% | |
| SD | Sioux Falls | $44,330 | 40 | 0.03% | |
| TN | Clarksville | N/A | 30 | 0.04% | |
| TN | Knoxville | $65,700 | 90 | 0.03% | |
| TN | Memphis | $58,840 | 90 | 0.01% | |
| TN | Nashville - Davidson - Murfreesboro - Franklin | $53,630 | 160 | 0.02% | |
| TX | Austin - Round Rock - San Marcos | $61,090 | 610 | 0.08% | |
| TX | Corpus Christi | $55,940 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| TX | Dallas - Plano - Irving (Metro Area) | $65,470 | 980 | 0.05% | |
| TX | Fort Worth - Arlington (Metro Area) | $49,990 | 240 | 0.03% | |
| TX | Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown | $62,610 | 840 | 0.03% | |
| TX | Killeen - Temple - Fort Hood | $65,420 | 70 | 0.05% | |
| TX | Lubbock | $42,290 | 40 | 0.03% | |
| TX | San Antonio - New Braunfels | $62,700 | 260 | 0.03% | |
| UT | Ogden - Clearfield | $63,140 | 120 | 0.06% | |
| UT | Provo - Orem | $54,890 | 100 | 0.06% | |
| UT | Salt Lake City | $61,690 | 400 | 0.06% | |
| VA | Charlottesville | $59,410 | 140 | 0.15% | |
| VA | Richmond | $64,950 | 240 | 0.04% | |
| VA | Virginia Beach - Norfolk - Newport News | $59,180 | 390 | 0.05% | |
| VT | Burlington - South Burlington | $58,080 | 90 | 0.08% | |
| WA | Bremerton - Silverdale | $65,670 | 50 | 0.07% | |
| WA | Kennewick - Pasco - Richland | $74,590 | 100 | 0.10% | |
| WA | Seattle - Bellevue - Everett (Metro Area) | $88,540 | 1,270 | 0.09% | |
| WA | Spokane | $52,830 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| WA | Tacoma (Metro Area) | $56,880 | 30 | 0.01% | |
| WI | Appleton | $51,400 | 40 | 0.04% | |
| WI | Fond du Lac | $57,260 | N/A | N/A | |
| WI | Green Bay | $45,850 | 40 | 0.02% | |
| WI | Madison | $52,330 | 140 | 0.04% | |
| WI | Milwaukee - Waukesha - West Allis | $55,750 | 420 | 0.05% | |
| WI | Oshkosh - Neenah | $44,840 | 80 | 0.09% | |
| WI | Racine | $50,970 | 40 | 0.05% | |
| WV | Charleston | $45,170 | 80 | 0.05% | |
| WV | Morgantown | N/A | 50 | 0.08% |