Technical Writers
Technical Writers (SOC 27-3042) earn a median $90,390 a year ($43.46 an hour) in the United States, with 45,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Jersey.
What technical writers do
Technical writers produce materials such as equipment manuals, appendices, and operating or maintenance instructions, and may help with layout. They organize material and complete writing assignments according to set standards, and study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and describe technical material. They talk with production and engineering staff and read journals and other sources to learn the subject, pick photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts that illustrate the text, and edit, standardize, or revise material prepared by other writers or by establishment personnel. They develop or maintain online help documentation, assist in laying out material for publication, and keep records and files of work and revisions. Alternate titles include documentation specialist, documentation writer, and assembly instructions writer. They differ from other writers and authors, who produce scripts, stories, and advertisements and are a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is an associate's degree or similar two-year credential.
Also called: Assembly Instructions Writer, Clinical Writer, Contracts Writer, Document Specialist, Documentation Designer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $27.62 | $34.08 | $43.46 | $55.53 | $69.84 | $46.62 | 45,500 |
| Annual | $57,440 | $70,880 | $90,390 | $115,510 | $145,270 | $96,970 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where technical writers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $33.36 | $39.98 | $58.81 | $64.91 | $78.55 | $56.03 | 1,550 | 0.36 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $69,400 | $83,150 | $122,320 | $135,010 | $163,390 | $116,550 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $35.93 | $40.86 | $56.64 | $61.83 | $71.53 | $53.95 | 440 | 0.63 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $74,720 | $84,990 | $117,810 | $128,610 | $148,770 | $112,210 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $34.19 | $41.37 | $52.50 | $64.72 | $79.35 | $55.10 | 1,850 | 0.51 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $71,120 | $86,060 | $109,200 | $134,620 | $165,060 | $114,610 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.05 | $37.83 | $50.03 | $63.43 | $81.64 | $52.81 | 1,620 | 0.46 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $60,420 | $78,680 | $104,070 | $131,940 | $169,810 | $109,840 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $33.48 | $40.51 | $50.00 | $67.92 | $84.38 | $56.28 | 5,280 | 0.29 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $69,630 | $84,250 | $104,000 | $141,280 | $175,510 | $117,060 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $33.48 | $40.51 | $50.00 | $67.92 | $84.38 | $56.28 | 5,280 | 0.29 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $69,630 | $84,250 | $104,000 | $141,280 | $175,510 | $117,060 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $24.32 | $30.64 | $39.78 | $50.78 | $61.50 | $42.37 | 3,340 | 0.24 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $50,590 | $63,720 | $82,750 | $105,630 | $127,920 | $88,140 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $25.86 | $33.84 | $41.50 | $49.81 | $67.28 | $44.05 | 2,860 | 0.58 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $53,790 | $70,390 | $86,320 | $103,590 | $139,950 | $91,620 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $28.61 | $35.85 | $41.46 | $49.91 | $63.64 | $44.28 | 2,550 | 0.26 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $59,520 | $74,570 | $86,240 | $103,810 | $132,380 | $92,090 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $29.29 | $36.30 | $45.00 | $54.57 | $67.05 | $46.68 | 2,280 | 0.56 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $60,930 | $75,510 | $93,600 | $113,510 | $139,470 | $97,090 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $36.21 | $42.00 | $67.65 | $83.05 | $101.86 | $67.29 | 920 | 0.81 | 2.78 |
| Annual | $75,310 | $87,350 | $140,700 | $172,740 | $211,860 | $139,970 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $37.89 | $45.15 | $65.13 | $81.51 | $99.69 | $66.13 | 1,020 | 0.43 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $78,810 | $93,920 | $135,470 | $169,550 | $207,360 | $137,560 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $39.84 | $51.21 | $62.30 | $69.00 | $80.78 | $61.22 | 40 | 0.21 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $82,860 | $106,510 | $129,590 | $143,520 | $168,030 | $127,330 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $32.23 | $37.77 | $57.29 | $62.12 | $67.84 | $52.88 | 80 | 0.61 | 2.07 |
| Annual | $67,030 | $78,560 | $119,160 | $129,210 | $141,100 | $110,000 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $33.54 | $38.18 | $56.31 | $66.94 | $76.19 | $55.05 | 100 | 0.40 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $69,760 | $79,420 | $117,130 | $139,230 | $158,480 | $114,500 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $34.99 | $38.75 | $48.03 | $61.31 | $71.47 | $51.10 | 2,370 | 0.76 | 2.58 |
| Annual | $72,790 | $80,600 | $99,910 | $127,520 | $148,660 | $106,290 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $30.76 | $39.23 | $53.39 | $64.91 | $76.10 | $53.40 | 2,170 | 0.23 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $63,980 | $81,600 | $111,050 | $135,010 | $158,280 | $111,070 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $33.67 | $41.37 | $53.72 | $65.19 | $79.65 | $55.39 | 1,590 | 0.59 | 2.01 |
| Annual | $70,040 | $86,060 | $111,750 | $135,600 | $165,670 | $115,210 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $32.01 | $38.50 | $50.00 | $54.61 | $65.99 | $49.56 | 1,460 | 0.23 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $66,580 | $80,070 | $104,000 | $113,580 | $137,250 | $103,080 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $29.28 | $39.40 | $51.72 | $68.33 | $84.14 | $55.25 | 1,220 | 0.59 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $60,900 | $81,950 | $107,580 | $142,130 | $175,010 | $114,910 | ||||
Top industries employing technical writers
Computer Systems Design and Related Services employ 16.0% of technical writers nationally (7,260 jobs) at a median $97,120 a year ($46.69 an hour), followed by Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (9.1%) and Employment Services (6.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 7,260 | 16.0% | $97,120 | $46.69 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 4,160 | 9.1% | $90,940 | $43.72 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 3,070 | 6.7% | $103,780 | $49.89 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 2,860 | 6.3% | $111,010 | $53.37 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 2,750 | 6.0% | $83,200 | $40.00 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (45,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $78,060 for technical writers in May 2021 and $90,390 in May 2025, with employment of 47,620 and 45,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $78,060 | $37.53 | 47,620 |
| May 2022 | $79,960 | $38.44 | 48,620 |
| May 2023 | $80,050 | $38.49 | 47,970 |
| May 2024 | $91,670 | $44.07 | 55,530 |
| May 2025 | $90,390 | $43.46 | 45,500 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey profile | $58.81 | $122,320 | $69,400 | $163,390 | 1,550 | 0.36 | 1.24 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $56.64 | $117,810 | $74,720 | $148,770 | 440 | 0.63 | 2.15 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $52.50 | $109,200 | $71,120 | $165,060 | 1,850 | 0.51 | 1.74 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $50.03 | $104,070 | $60,420 | $169,810 | 1,620 | 0.46 | 1.56 |
| 5 | California profile | $50.00 | $104,000 | $69,630 | $175,510 | 5,280 | 0.29 | 0.99 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $49.21 | $102,360 | $77,480 | $115,380 | 150 | 0.30 | 1.04 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $48.98 | $101,870 | $63,710 | $127,830 | 770 | 0.45 | 1.54 |
| 8 | Maryland profile | $48.55 | $100,990 | $72,880 | $149,740 | 1,780 | 0.64 | 2.20 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $48.37 | $100,610 | $69,730 | $160,950 | 1,320 | 0.46 | 1.57 |
| 10 | New York profile | $47.26 | $98,310 | $53,560 | $152,570 | 1,610 | 0.17 | 0.57 |
| 11 | New Hampshire profile | $46.30 | $96,300 | $63,500 | $130,970 | 230 | 0.34 | 1.16 |
| 12 | New Mexico profile | $45.66 | $94,970 | $53,280 | $130,260 | 420 | 0.49 | 1.66 |
| 13 | Virginia profile | $45.00 | $93,600 | $60,930 | $139,470 | 2,280 | 0.56 | 1.90 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $43.45 | $90,370 | $60,990 | $117,210 | 80 | 0.16 | 0.54 |
| 15 | Nevada profile | $42.67 | $88,750 | $56,710 | $124,800 | 230 | 0.15 | 0.51 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $42.65 | $88,700 | $58,800 | $130,890 | 1,040 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 17 | Vermont profile | $42.24 | $87,860 | $61,220 | $223,650 | 60 | 0.21 | 0.72 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $42.12 | $87,620 | $54,220 | $158,180 | 1,330 | 0.22 | 0.75 |
| 19 | North Carolina profile | $41.50 | $86,320 | $53,790 | $139,950 | 2,860 | 0.58 | 1.98 |
| 20 | Florida profile | $41.46 | $86,240 | $59,520 | $132,380 | 2,550 | 0.26 | 0.88 |
| 21 | Alabama profile | $41.27 | $85,840 | $60,700 | $123,140 | 630 | 0.30 | 1.01 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $40.99 | $85,270 | $57,600 | $127,070 | 970 | 0.22 | 0.75 |
| 23 | Oregon profile | $40.38 | $84,000 | $58,990 | $150,220 | 590 | 0.30 | 1.02 |
| 24 | Minnesota profile | $40.03 | $83,270 | $58,670 | $127,390 | 910 | 0.31 | 1.05 |
| 25 | Alaska profile | $40.00 | $83,200 | $61,020 | $102,120 | 130 | 0.40 | 1.35 |
| 26 | Texas profile | $39.78 | $82,750 | $50,590 | $127,920 | 3,340 | 0.24 | 0.81 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $39.68 | $82,540 | $57,360 | $120,930 | 700 | 0.31 | 1.04 |
| 28 | Kentucky profile | $38.97 | $81,070 | $54,300 | $120,350 | 340 | 0.17 | 0.59 |
| 29 | Missouri profile | $38.86 | $80,840 | $51,170 | $192,040 | 500 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $38.59 | $80,270 | $50,610 | $132,590 | 570 | 0.33 | 1.12 |
| 31 | Wisconsin profile | $38.48 | $80,030 | $56,460 | $119,930 | 910 | 0.31 | 1.05 |
| 32 | Arizona profile | $38.36 | $79,780 | $60,100 | $119,930 | 730 | 0.23 | 0.77 |
| 33 | Tennessee profile | $38.24 | $79,550 | $50,430 | $108,890 | 480 | 0.15 | 0.50 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $36.77 | $76,480 | $48,970 | $125,150 | 1,350 | 0.24 | 0.83 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $36.30 | $75,510 | $52,350 | $106,680 | 540 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $36.09 | $75,070 | $65,630 | $89,280 | 160 | 0.31 | 1.07 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $35.36 | $73,550 | $49,250 | $102,440 | 480 | 0.33 | 1.13 |
| 38 | Georgia profile | $35.13 | $73,070 | $57,970 | $122,290 | 1,680 | 0.34 | 1.17 |
| 39 | North Dakota profile | $35.09 | $72,990 | $50,460 | $110,150 | 70 | 0.17 | 0.59 |
| 40 | Oklahoma profile | $33.54 | $69,760 | $48,130 | $103,440 | 600 | 0.35 | 1.21 |
| 41 | Iowa profile | $31.98 | $66,520 | $52,750 | $98,970 | 640 | 0.41 | 1.40 |
| 42 | Mississippi profile | $31.36 | $65,220 | $45,740 | $85,980 | 70 | 0.06 | 0.21 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $30.67 | $63,790 | $53,220 | $94,680 | 320 | 0.17 | 0.57 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $30.46 | $63,350 | $49,490 | $84,090 | 70 | 0.14 | 0.49 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $29.41 | $61,180 | $45,170 | $81,330 | 150 | 0.11 | 0.39 |
| – | Hawaii profile | * | * | * | * | 30 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 430 | 0.51 | 1.73 |
| – | Maine profile | * | * | * | * | 310 | 0.48 | 1.65 |
| – | Nebraska profile | * | * | * | * | 190 | 0.19 | 0.64 |
| – | West Virginia profile | * | * | * | * | 130 | 0.19 | 0.63 |
| – | Wyoming profile | * | * | * | * | 30 | 0.11 | 0.37 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-3040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-3042 Technical Writers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-3042, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3042.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.