Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-3042

Technical Writers

The published band from $57,440 to $145,270 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Art Directors.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Technical Writers: Art Directors ($115K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Writers and Authors ($77K) , Producers and Directors ($90K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Technical Writers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-3042 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology
  2. 2. Maintain records and files of work and revisions
  3. 3. Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel
  4. 4. Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material
  5. 5. Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and prod…
  6. 6. Develop or maintain online help documentation
  7. 7. Assist in laying out material for publication
  8. 8. Study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production s…
  9. 9. Arrange for typing, duplication, and distribution of material
  10. 10. Observe production, developmental, and experimental activities to determine operating procedure and detail
  11. 11. Review manufacturer's and trade catalogs, drawings and other data relative to operation, maintenance, and service of equipment
  12. 12. Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material

O*NET skills and knowledge for Technical Writers

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-3042 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Writing 4.9
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 4.1
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.8
  4. 4. Speaking 3.8
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.6
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.3
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  8. 8. Time Management 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.8
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 4.3
  3. 3. Administrative 3.8
  4. 4. Communications and Media 3.3
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.2
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 3.2
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$57,440 to $145,270
median $90,390 · ~2.5× spread
$90K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
4,500
Annual openings
45,500
Estimated US jobs
Art Directors
Highest-pay peer · $115K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree
Related experience Less than 5 years

Top Paying States for Technical Writers

1. District of Columbia $117,810
2. Maryland $100,990
3. New Jersey $122,320
4. New York $98,310
5. Connecticut $101,870
6. Rhode Island $102,360
7. Massachusetts $109,200
8. Colorado $100,610
9. California $104,000
10. Washington $104,070

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Art Directors $114,850
  2. 2. Writers and Authors $76,910
  3. 3. Producers and Directors $90,360
  4. 4. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $72,420
  5. 5. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  6. 6. Commercial and Industrial Designers $83,910

The OEWS band for Technical Writers runs from $57,440 (10th) to $145,270 (90th), about 2.5× wide, with median $90,390. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: District of Columbia at $117,810. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Art Directors at $114,850. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Technical Writers in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in District of Columbia

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Maryland

Second-highest state pay

Art Directors

Highest-pay peer · $115K

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Lower-pay peer · $72K

All Career Cards

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
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Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do technical writers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Technical Writers. Leading ones include: Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology; Maintain records and files of work and revisions; Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel; Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for technical writers? ▼
For SOC 27-3042, O*NET importance scores lead with Writing (4.9), Reading Comprehension (4.1), Active Listening (3.8), Speaking (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administrative. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Technical Writers sit next to other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Art Directors, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, Writers and Authors, Producers and Directors. Among those peers, Art Directors holds the highest published national median ($114,850). Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners sits lower at $72,420. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Technical Writers? ▼
The median salary for Technical Writers is $90,390 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $57,440 (10th percentile) to $145,270 (90th percentile). For context beside Art Directors ($114,850), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Technical Writers a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +1% employment change for Technical Writers from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 4,500 projected annual openings. This is slower than average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a technical writers? ▼
BLS assigns Technical Writers to Bachelor's degree for typical education needed for entry. The typical related-work-experience assignment is less than 5 years. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay technical writers the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Technical Writers are District of Columbia ($117,810), Maryland ($100,990), New Jersey ($122,320). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau