SOC 273042

Technical Writers

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.

National Median

$91,670

per year

National Salary Overview

Median Annual

$91,670

Entry Level (10th pct)

$54,400

Experienced (90th pct)

$130,430

Total Employed

55,530

Salary Distribution

Salary percentiles show the range from entry-level (10th) to top earners (90th)

Salary by Experience Level

Experience LevelEstimated Salary Range
Entry Level0-2 years experience$54,400 - $68,640
Mid Career2-8 years experience$68,640 - $102,740
Senior / Expert8+ years experience$102,740 - $130,430

Highest Paying Locations for Technical Writers

Technical Writers Salary by Location

Compare salaries across 50 metropolitan areas

Metropolitan AreaMedian SalaryEmployed
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$182,45030
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$135,880940
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$130,8501,240
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$125,760540
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$109,48060
Connecticut$109,4001,040
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$107,69040
Kennewick-Richland, WA$106,22090
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$104,9901,110
Colorado$103,9601,820
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$103,9601,420
Fargo, ND-MN$103,34050
Raleigh-Cary, NC$102,760540
Massachusetts$102,6401,750
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$102,420570
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$100,660300
Rhode Island$100,580410
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$100,580390
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$100,4408,600
California$100,44013,210
Boulder, CO$99,740280
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$99,2201,150
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$99,080130
Maryland$98,3501,770
Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area$98,130N/A
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC$98,010150
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$97,8102,630
Colorado Springs, CO$97,740230
Idaho Falls, ID$96,78060
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$94,670110
Manchester-Nashua, NH$93,73040
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$93,650780
Washington$93,2301,680
Wilmington, NC$93,10040
New Hampshire$91,710170
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$91,020110
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$90,02070
Charlottesville, VA$89,86030
District of Columbia$89,180550
Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area$88,980N/A
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$88,510N/A
Huntsville, AL$88,090380
Worcester, MA$87,820110
Asheville, NC$87,330100
North Carolina$87,3302,000
New Jersey$86,9901,350
New Haven, CT$86,55070
Memphis, TN-MS-AR$86,34090
Nevada$85,860200
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area$85,82050

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary for a Technical Writers?
The national median annual salary for Technical Writers is $91,670, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This means half of workers in this occupation earn more, and half earn less.
Where do Technical Writerss earn the most?
The highest-paying metro area for Technical Writerss is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, with a median salary of $182,450.
How much can an experienced Technical Writers make?
Top-earning Technical Writerss (90th percentile) make $130,430 or more annually. This typically reflects workers with significant experience, specialized skills, or positions in high-paying regions.