Technical Writers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$90,390
United States, 2025
Employment
45,500
United States, 2025
Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
- O*NET code
- 27-3042.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
- Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
- Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
- Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
- Assist in laying out material for publication.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$57,440
25th percentile
$70,880
75th percentile
$115,510
90th percentile
$145,270
Most important skills
- Writing4.9
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Time Management3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 10 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
10
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 4.9 | 5.0 | Not selected | 5.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 | 4.9 | Not selected | 4.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $116,580
Compare with Technical WritersSupplemental
National median $116,580
Compare with Technical WritersSupplemental
National median $104,000
Compare with Technical WritersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $140,700 | 920 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $135,470 | 1,020 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $129,590 | 40 | 2025 |
| NJ | $122,320 | 1,550 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $119,160 | 80 | 2025 |
| DC | $117,810 | 440 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $117,130 | 100 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $111,750 | 1,590 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $111,050 | 2,170 | 2025 |
| MA | $109,200 | 1,850 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $107,580 | 1,220 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $106,900 | 160 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $105,840 | 140 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $104,450 | 60 | 2025 |
| WA | $104,070 | 1,620 | 2025 |
| CA | $104,000 | 5,280 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $104,000 | 1,460 | 2025 |
| Augusta, GA | $103,730 | 160 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $103,360 | 800 | 2025 |
| Savannah, GA | $103,000 | 120 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Technical Writers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.