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Technical writer and editor salary
Average technical writer and editor salary
$65,088
Understanding the Technical Writer and Editor Salary
The average salary for a Technical Writer and Editor stands at $65,088 annually, translating to approximately $31 per hour. Salaries vary based on factors like experience, location, and industry. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned professionals can earn significantly more, particularly in industries such as technology and healthcare.
Salary by Experience Level
Typically, those with more experience command higher salaries. For instance, writers with 5-10 years of experience can expect salaries upwards of $75,000, while senior roles may exceed $90,000. The growth in this field is attributed to the increasing need for documentation and content creation across various platforms.
Highest Paying States and Cities
Regions such as California, New York, and Washington often offer the highest salaries for technical writers. Cities like San Francisco and New York City are particularly lucrative due to the high cost of living and demand for skilled communicators. Understanding these dynamics can significantly enhance your job search strategy and salary negotiations.
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Where can a Technical Writer And Editor earn more?
Technical writer and editor salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level technical writer and editor | $44,200 | $21.23 |
| Mid-level technical writer and editor | $70,400 | $33.84 |
| Senior-level technical writer and editor | $96,600 | $46.44 |
Average technical writer and editor salary by state
The average technical writer and editor salary in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average technical writer and editor salary states are Kentucky, Florida, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for technical writer and editors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $85,144 | $40.93 |
| 2 | Maryland | $73,124 | $35.16 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $64,890 | $31.20 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $66,848 | $32.14 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $65,732 | $31.60 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $67,897 | $32.64 |
| 7 | Michigan | $67,069 | $32.24 |
| 8 | Colorado | $65,140 | $31.32 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $74,021 | $35.59 |
| 10 | Arizona | $74,247 | $35.70 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $64,320 | $30.92 |
| 12 | Georgia | $62,546 | $30.07 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $64,890 | $31.20 |
| 14 | Washington | $68,788 | $33.07 |
| 15 | Texas | $60,859 | $29.26 |
| 16 | Vermont | $66,851 | $32.14 |
| 17 | California | $71,670 | $34.46 |
| 18 | Nevada | $58,704 | $28.22 |
| 19 | New York | $62,564 | $30.08 |
| 20 | Oregon | $64,461 | $30.99 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $58,268 | $28.01 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $59,333 | $28.53 |
| 23 | Alaska | $59,422 | $28.57 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $57,461 | $27.63 |
| 25 | Virginia | $64,094 | $30.81 |
| 26 | Delaware | $58,401 | $28.08 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $58,935 | $28.33 |
| 28 | Missouri | $57,797 | $27.79 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $56,743 | $27.28 |
| 30 | Illinois | $55,954 | $26.90 |
| 31 | Kansas | $55,271 | $26.57 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $59,109 | $28.42 |
| 33 | Montana | $59,555 | $28.63 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $55,274 | $26.57 |
| 35 | Ohio | $54,747 | $26.32 |
| 36 | Utah | $57,189 | $27.49 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $55,495 | $26.68 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $52,805 | $25.39 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $52,749 | $25.36 |
| 40 | Alabama | $53,512 | $25.73 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $52,279 | $25.13 |
| 42 | Maine | $52,751 | $25.36 |
| 43 | Florida | $51,186 | $24.61 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $51,230 | $24.63 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $52,299 | $25.14 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $50,844 | $24.44 |
| 47 | Iowa | $51,526 | $24.77 |
| 48 | Indiana | $48,867 | $23.49 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,578 | $25.28 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $50,989 | $24.51 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $49,988 | $24.03 |
Highest paying cities for technical writer and editors
The highest-paying cities for technical writer and editors are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $85,089 | $40.91 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $75,597 | $36.34 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,440 | $35.79 |
| 4 | Rockville, MD | $73,018 | $35.10 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $69,024 | $33.18 |
| 6 | Warren, MI | $67,223 | $32.32 |
| 7 | Broomfield, CO | $65,214 | $31.35 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $64,650 | $31.08 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $64,495 | $31.01 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $62,722 | $30.15 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $62,593 | $30.09 |
| 12 | San Antonio, TX | $61,026 | $29.34 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $58,002 | $27.89 |
| 14 | Roy, UT | $57,197 | $27.50 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | $53,804 | $25.87 |
| 16 | Melbourne, FL | $51,122 | $24.58 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,975 | $24.51 |
Technical writer and editor salary details
A technical writer and editor's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $82,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a technical writer and editor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $65,088 | $5,424 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
Highest paying technical writer and editor jobs
The highest paying types of technical writer and editors are senior editor, managing editor, and senior writer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| Writer | $66,143 | $5,512 | $31.80 | 13,931 |
| Production Editor | $53,275 | $4,440 | $25.61 | 62,877 |
| Grant Writer | $52,719 | $4,393 | $25.35 | 16,708 |
| Staff Writer | $44,844 | $3,737 | $21.56 | 80,547 |
Top companies hiring technical writer and editors now:
Which companies pay technical writer and editors the most?
Technical writer and editor salaries at Pegasystems and ARA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average technical writer and editor salary at companies like Globus Medical and Jacobs Engineering Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pegasystems | $67,744 | $32.57 |
| 2 | ARA | $66,288 | $31.87 |
| 3 | Globus Medical | $65,535 | $31.51 |
| 4 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $65,189 | $31.34 |
| 5 | Lockheed Martin | $64,472 | $31.00 |
| 6 | Torch Technologies | $64,436 | $30.98 |
| 7 | Northrop Grumman | $64,347 | $30.94 |
| 8 | General Dynamics | $64,224 | $30.88 |
| 9 | Caliper Family of Companies | $63,599 | $30.58 |
| 10 | Ball | $63,368 | $30.47 |
| 11 | CAE | $62,916 | $30.25 |
| 12 | Forest Manufacturing Co | $62,811 | $30.20 |
| 13 | General Atomics | $62,504 | $30.05 |
| 14 | Goldbelt Falcon | $62,425 | $30.01 |
| 15 | Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation | $62,339 | $29.97 |
| 16 | Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies | $62,138 | $29.87 |
| 17 | NANA | $61,601 | $29.62 |
| 18 | Knowesis | $61,149 | $29.40 |
| 19 | SAIC | $60,914 | $29.29 |
| 20 | Peraton | $60,901 | $29.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Technical Writer And Editor salary by industry
The average technical writer and editor salary varies across industries:
- The average technical writer and editor salary in the technology industry is $63,553, the highest of any industry.
- The average technical writer and editor salary in the finance industry is $62,328.
- Technical writer and editors in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $57,763, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for technical writer and editors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $63,553 | $30.55 |
| 2 | Government | $62,328 | $29.97 |
| 3 | Professional | $61,187 | $29.42 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $57,763 | $27.77 |
High paying technical writer and editor jobs
Technical writer and editor salary trends
The average technical writer and editor salary has risen by $8,754 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average technical writer and editor earned $56,334 annually, but today, they earn $65,088 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for technical writer and editors over the last decade.
Compare technical writer and editor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average technical writer and editor salary over time
Compare technical writer and editor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Technical writer and editor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,100 | $31.29 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $63,500 | $30.54 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $62,600 | $30.12 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $61,800 | $29.73 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $60,900 | $29.28 | -0.6% |
Recently added technical writer and editor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcom | Manufacturing System Specialist/Technical Writer, Editor | Fort Collins, CO | 06/28/2025 | $73,100 |
| General Dynamics Information Technology | Technical Editor and Writer-EHR and 508 | Fairfax, VA | 06/24/2025 | $73,100 |
| Lockheed Martin | Technical Editor/Writer Junior | Milwaukee, WI | 06/22/2025 | $54,100 |
| Parsons | Technical Writer/Editor | Chantilly, VA | 06/20/2025 | $62,506 |
| Argonne National Laboratory | Technical Writer/Editor, Policies & Procedures | Lemont, IL | 06/20/2025 | $73,793 |
| CGI Group Inc. | Technical Writer and Editor | Albuquerque, NM | 06/13/2025 | $90,200 |
| LS Solutions | Technical Writer/Editor II In Walpole MA | Walpole, MA | 06/10/2025 | $62,610 |
| Northrop Grumman | Technical Editor and Writer | Sierra Vista, AZ | 05/28/2025 | $58,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | Technical Editor and Writer | San Diego, CA | 05/28/2025 | $58,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | Technical Editor and Writer (Space/Satellite Systems) | McLean, VA | 05/25/2025 | $82,000 |
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