Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of technical writer salary by state for the United States in 2026:
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California continues to lead with the highest technical writer salary of $79,844
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Indiana has the lowest technical writer salary at $46,828
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The national average salary for technical writers is $65,329
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The national hourly pay for technical writers is $31.41
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Across various demographics, salary remains the top priority for individuals evaluating job opportunities. For those interested in a career as a technical writer, understanding how much you can expect to earn based on your location is crucial.
While many factors influence your specific salary, robust data on average salaries for technical writers by state, segmented by experience level, is available. Even though your city’s figures may differ slightly, these averages provide a reliable benchmark for your salary expectations.
As of 2026, California remains the state offering the best salary for technical writers.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for technical writer salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we arrived at these numbers and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Technical Writers By State
| Rank | State | Average Technical Writer Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $79,844 | $56,000 | $113,000 |
| 2 | Washington | $76,826 | $57,000 | $103,000 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $75,434 | $57,000 | $99,000 |
| 4 | Nevada | $71,298 | $50,000 | $99,000 |
| 5 | Maryland | $70,388 | $52,000 | $94,000 |
| 6 | Oregon | $68,309 | $50,000 | $92,000 |
| 7 | Vermont | $66,616 | $51,000 | $86,000 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $66,590 | $48,000 | $91,000 |
| 9 | Virginia | $66,564 | $49,000 | $90,000 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $66,465 | $51,000 | $85,000 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $65,970 | $49,000 | $88,000 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $65,737 | $49,000 | $86,000 |
| 13 | Arizona | $65,682 | $47,000 | $90,000 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $64,652 | $49,000 | $84,000 |
| 15 | Georgia | $64,005 | $46,000 | $88,000 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $63,906 | $47,000 | $85,000 |
| 17 | Colorado | $63,902 | $48,000 | $84,000 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $63,642 | $47,000 | $84,000 |
| 19 | Alaska | $61,757 | $52,000 | $72,000 |
| 20 | New York | $60,924 | $45,000 | $81,000 |
| 21 | Illinois | $59,928 | $45,000 | $79,000 |
| 22 | Texas | $59,885 | $42,000 | $85,000 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $59,140 | $44,000 | $78,000 |
| 24 | Michigan | $59,051 | $44,000 | $78,000 |
| 25 | Ohio | $58,901 | $44,000 | $78,000 |
| 26 | Montana | $58,798 | $45,000 | $76,000 |
| 27 | Delaware | $58,688 | $43,000 | $78,000 |
| 28 | Kansas | $58,473 | $43,000 | $77,000 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $58,427 | $44,000 | $76,000 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $58,256 | $42,000 | $79,000 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $57,654 | $46,000 | $70,000 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $57,473 | $44,000 | $74,000 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $56,958 | $40,000 | $80,000 |
| 34 | Missouri | $56,580 | $42,000 | $75,000 |
| 35 | Maine | $56,525 | $43,000 | $73,000 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $56,507 | $42,000 | $74,000 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $56,387 | $41,000 | $76,000 |
| 38 | Utah | $56,143 | $41,000 | $75,000 |
| 39 | Alabama | $54,606 | $39,000 | $75,000 |
| 40 | Idaho | $54,322 | $40,000 | $73,000 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $54,089 | $39,000 | $73,000 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $52,826 | $38,000 | $73,000 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $51,932 | $38,000 | $70,000 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $51,874 | $38,000 | $69,000 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $51,357 | $38,000 | $69,000 |
| 46 | Florida | $51,156 | $35,000 | $74,000 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $51,081 | $36,000 | $70,000 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $50,641 | $38,000 | $66,000 |
| 49 | Iowa | $48,448 | $36,000 | $63,000 |
| 50 | Indiana | $46,828 | $35,000 | $62,000 |
Methodology: Technical Writer Salary By State
To better understand technical writer pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This data is further supplemented with actual salary listings from job postings. The data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to present the average pay for technical writers by state.
We ranked every state based on the average annual salary data for technical writers derived from these estimates, identifying the state with the highest average salary.
Technical Writer Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for technical writers?
The highest-paid state for technical writers is California with an average salary of $79,844 per year.
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What city pays technical writers the most?
San Francisco, CA pays technical writers the most, with an average salary of $86,857 per year.
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What is the worst state for technical writers?
The worst state for technical writers is Indiana, with an average salary of $46,828 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
