Technical writers

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

60.5k

Average Age

45.7

Estimated Job Growth

7.36%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$74,836

Average Male Salary

$77,607

Average Female Salary

$72,694

About

Technical writers are most often employed by the Computer Systems Design industry. The average yearly wage for Technical writers was $74,836 in 2020.

The locations that employ the most Technical writers are Denver City (South Central) PUMA, CO, Santa Rosa County PUMA, FL, and Mountain View, Palo Alto & Los Altos Cities PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Technical writers are Denver City (South Central) PUMA, CO, Broomall & Ardmore (West) PUMA, PA, and Santa Rosa County PUMA, FL.

Photo by James F Clay

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Employment and salary information for the Technical writers workforce. Technical writers workforce in 2020 was 60,462 people, of which 56.4% were women and 43.6% were men. Technical writers are paid most in Somerset County (North & West) PUMA, NJ but are relatively concentrated in Denver City (South Central) PUMA, CO.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

26,356

Male Workforce

± 3.99k

34,106

Female Workforce

± 4.53k

The Technical writers workforce in 2020 was 60,462 people (56.4% women and 43.6% men). This implies an average annual growth of 13.1% between 2014 (53,444) and 2020 (60,462).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Technical writers.

During 2020, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were New Jersey ($94,758), Washington ($91,666), and California ($90,097).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$74,836

AVERAGE WAGE

#118 in the ranking (2020)

$55,954

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2020, Technical writers earned an average of $74,836, $18,882 more than the average national salary of $55,954

The graph shows the ranking of Technical writers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2020.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.301

WAGE GINI

In 2020, Technical writers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.301, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Technical writers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Technical writers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Technical writers and on wages for those in the field. Computer Systems Design is the industry that employs the most Technical writers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Technical writers, by average wage, is Drugs, sundries, & chemical & allied products merchant wholesalers ($153,665).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

60.5k

2020 Workforce

± 6,036

3.9%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 13.7%

This graphic shows the share of Technical writers employed by various industries. Computer Systems Design employs the largest share of Technical writers at 59.8%, followed by Architectural, engineering & related services with 22.4% and Management, scientific & technical consulting services with 17.7%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Technical writers in the US. The workforce of Technical writers in 2020 was 60,462 people, with 56.4% woman, and 43.6% men. The average age of male Technical writers in the workforce is 46.4 and of female Technical writers is 45.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Technical writers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Technical writers in 2020 was 60,462 people, with 56.4% woman, and 43.6% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (8,121 people), 50 to 54 years (7,734 people), and 55 to 59 years (7,581 people). Among them they concentrated 38.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2020, 5.5% of Technical writers workers were Hispanic and 94.5% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (68.5%), Puerto Rican (19.2)%, and Cuban (12.3)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2020, 82.5% of the Technical writers workforce were White, of which 54.9% were women and 45.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (6.93%) and Black (5.65%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Technical writers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Technical writers is English but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2020 were English.

Among the necessary skills for Technical writers, Writing stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Technical writers need more than the average amount of Writing.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Technical writers in 2020 (counting all academic degrees) were English (9,146 people), Business (5,176 people), and Communications (4,682 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Technical writers workers were Bachelors Degree (28,294 people), Graduate Degree (18,133 people), and Some college (6,300 people).

The graphic shows the Technical writers workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Technical writers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Technical writers need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Technical Writers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Technical Writers are expected to see a growth of 7.36% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

7.36%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Technical writers. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.