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Job outlook for health technical writers in the United States
Are health technical writer jobs in demand?
Health technical writer job and salary trends over time
Health technical writer jobs over time
Health technical writer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7 | 0.00% |
Average health technical writer salary over time
Health technical writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,430 | $28.09 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $57,021 | $27.41 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $56,239 | $27.04 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $55,518 | $26.69 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $54,673 | $26.29 | --0.6% |
Health technical writer jobs by state
Most common states for health technical writers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 275 | 40% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,745 | 31% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 206 | 27% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 248 | 26% |
| 5 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,425 | 24% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,619 | 24% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,262 | 23% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 441 | 23% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 195 | 22% |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,229 | 21% |
| 11 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 668 | 21% |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 624 | 21% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 618 | 21% |
| 14 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,313 | 20% |
| 15 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,250 | 20% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 124 | 20% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,901 | 19% |
| 18 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,276 | 19% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,209 | 18% |
| 20 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 779 | 16% |
Health Technical Writer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health technical writer experts
Tusculum University
Colorado Mesa University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Rhode Island
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Ohio Northern University
California State University, Los Angeles
Vicky Johnson Bós
Associate Professor of EnglishTusculum University
English Language And Literature
What Health Technical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Students should be very familiar with using AI in responsible, informed ways to further their writing and research. Having people-skills will never go unused. Good writing and technological skills will become even more in demand with the growth of new, unexplored job markets.
What will help Health Technical Writers increase their earning potential?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Have practical experience in that field through a summer job, internship, or access to expertise. Getting a Master's Degree or even a PhD can greatly influence salary potential. Be aware that you may have to take a 'starting' job at less of a good salary to get practical experience to make the leap to a better paying job.
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD
Associate Professor of EnglishColorado Mesa University
English Language And Literature
What Health Technical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD: In terms of general advice, students just entering the career field after graduating should apply far and wide. In other words, I would suggest that students not limit themselves because they might be surprised where they can land a job. With that said, they should still tailor their application materials for the job that they want, instead of just sending out the same materials again/again.
Randall Auxier
Professor of Philosophy and Communication StudiesSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Rhetoric And Composition/Writing Studies
What Health Technical Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Randall Auxier: Writers have to be patient about this. The fields that were once supporting writers (e.g., journalism) have dried up. No one gets paid much for this kind of work any more. The best strategy is to seek a position that has upward mobility and become a writer in the fashion described above. You have to be good at it, of course, to increase your value to a company. Being sure that you are credited for everything you do, in the text, is very important, in creating a portfolio that makes you mobile. People will let you go uncredited unless you insist on being credited. Here you really must be bold. You are not moving your career forward unless you are credited for everything you do. No one can reasonably deny your request to be credited, so insist on it.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Technical Writers?
John Pantalone: I don't think we have any idea what the long-term effects of the pandemic will be either in economic terms, health terms, or employment terms. It is much too soon to tell. Everything depends on what the government does, how corporations respond to the changing economic climate and evolving technologies. In the field of journalism, everything is up in the air and it will be years before we have a good idea of how journalism will evolve and survive.
Kevin Pulz
Academic Department Chair/Senior Producer-Director, Milwaukee PBSMilwaukee Area Technical College
Television and Video Production/eProduction- Milwaukee PBS
What's a good job out of college for Health Technical Writers?
Kevin Pulz: Broadcasting is still, strangely, considered a glamor field in so many ways. Little do people realize that cable wrapping and happily executed grunt work are essential talents that often separate the job recipient from the 5 interviewees and 95 applicants for a gig that pays less than fast-food work, even with a college degree.
So a good job out of college is ANY job in the field. Being 'in' and demonstrating one's ability in a professional environment remains key to opportunity in the future.
That said, it's clear that an area of media that's ripe for growth is multiplatform content delivery. It's in the wheelhouse of recent graduates based upon age and media consumption habits and, with traditional broadcast audiences growing older, an aspect of content creation that promises to grow even more legs as distribution methodologies develop and mature.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Technical Writers?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: I have argued that the pandemic has dropkicked society, culture, and daily activities fifty years into the future. We are doing more decentralized work virtually from home. The journalism industry seems to have felt the boot prints of that dropkick as much as any industry. One of the continuous influences of COVID-19 post-pandemic appears to be the "home studio model" for broadcasters and journalism organizations. I would point to the "Room Raters" Twitter account as evidence for this claim. It seems that people are more comfortable with reporting from home. Journalism graduates are now presenting news stories in a quasi-informal manner. The general public seems to be okay seeing journalists in more business casual clothing than the power suit.
It has also fundamentally changed the functional roles of journalists. Contributors and correspondents show off their credibility by displaying the books they wrote on the shelves behind them or the visual artifacts of their subject of expertise. Anchors have a screen behind them, highlighting the story with some visuals. Citizen journalists are finding more accessible access to essential sources via Zoom or Skype. Reporters are framing their interviews via those services as well.
What's a day at work look like for a Health Technical Writer?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: This line of evidence is pointing to one central truth. Those that practiced multimedia journalism techniques before the pandemic will find success now. Also, organizations are looking for those graduates that can be a "one-stop-shop" for producing stories from home. I don't believe that trend will change. This trend also addresses the third question. Graduates are leaving colleges better prepared to use computer-mediated communication tools to complete their jobs' essential tasks. They understand how to be engaging and communicate effectively via their more contemporary communication tools.
What's a good job out of college for Health Technical Writers?
Kate Kurtin Ph.D.: Any job that you are passionate about and brings you joy is a great job out of college. Don't look for a "forever job" after college, look for a job where you can learn and grow and support yourself.