CDCareer Decision

Technical Writers Salary in Washington, DC

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Technical Writers in Washington, DC have a median annual salary of $99,910, with 2,370 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $72,790 at the 10th percentile to $148,660 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$99,910

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$48.03

Employment

2,370

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$72,790
10th
$80,600
25th
$99,910
Median
$127,520
75th
$148,660
90th

Local compared with national

Washington, DC

$99,910

Median annual · 2025

United States

$90,390

Median annual · 2025

The Washington, DC median is 10.5% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $9,520).

Top skills

  1. 1.WritingImportance 4.9
  2. 2.Reading ComprehensionImportance 4.1
  3. 3.Active ListeningImportance 3.8
  4. 4.SpeakingImportance 3.8
  5. 5.Critical ThinkingImportance 3.6
  6. 6.Active LearningImportance 3.3
  7. 7.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.1
  8. 8.Time ManagementImportance 3.1
  9. 9.MonitoringImportance 3.0
  10. 10.CoordinationImportance 3.0
  11. 11.PersuasionImportance 2.9
  12. 12.Social PerceptivenessImportance 2.8

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Job zone
4

Technology used

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Captivate
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Adobe FrameMaker
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe RoboHelp
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Author-it
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Blink

Common 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.
  • Study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production sequence and detail.
  • Arrange for typing, duplication, and distribution of material.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Technical Writers salary in other locations

Other occupations in Washington, DC