Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for scientific technical writers in the United States
Are scientific technical writer jobs in demand?
Scientific technical writer job and salary trends over time
Scientific technical writer jobs over time
Scientific technical writer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 28 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 29 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 29 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 29 | 0.00% |
Average scientific technical writer salary over time
Scientific technical writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $78,877 | $37.92 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $76,975 | $37.01 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $75,918 | $36.50 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $74,946 | $36.03 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $73,805 | $35.48 | --0.6% |
Scientific technical writer jobs by state
Most common states for scientific technical writers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 181 | 29% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 146 | 21% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 110 | 19% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 228 | 17% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 179 | 17% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 158 | 16% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 115 | 16% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 831 | 15% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 115 | 15% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 841 | 14% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 752 | 13% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 428 | 12% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 233 | 12% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 209 | 12% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 103 | 12% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,389 | 11% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,100 | 11% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,028 | 11% |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 609 | 11% |
| 20 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,060 | 10% |
Most common cities for scientific technical writers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $64,620 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $77,863 |
| 3 | Dover | 1 | 3% | $73,450 |
| 4 | Juneau | 1 | 3% | $73,692 |
| 5 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $82,573 |
| 6 | Little Rock | 1 | 1% | $64,987 |
| 7 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $77,566 |
| 8 | Tallahassee | 1 | 1% | $75,273 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $71,142 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $72,138 |
| 11 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $83,498 |
| 12 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $70,981 |
| 13 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $63,338 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $71,535 |
| 15 | Montgomery | 1 | 0% | $66,840 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $94,415 |
| 17 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $92,888 |
| 18 | Saint Paul | 1 | 0% | $81,684 |
Scientific Technical Writer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of scientific technical writer experts
Tusculum University
Colorado Mesa University
University of Rhode Island
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Ohio Northern University
Vicky Johnson Bós
Associate Professor of EnglishTusculum University
English Language And Literature
What will help Scientific 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 Scientific 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.
What's a good job out of college for Scientific Technical Writers?
John Pantalone: At this point, at the risk of being sarcastic, any job is a good job. The real answer is that it depends on the field you plan to go into and what you consider a good job. A livable wage with reasonable benefits is part of the equation; the other part is whether you genuinely enjoy the work.
Kevin Pulz
Academic Department Chair/Senior Producer-Director, Milwaukee PBSMilwaukee Area Technical College
Television and Video Production/eProduction- Milwaukee PBS
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Scientific Technical Writers?
Kevin Pulz: There's no doubt that the pandemic has and will continue to have a clear impact on current college/university students and upcoming and recent graduates. The way things are 'done', for example, has been redefined in a fashion that in some ways makes traditional broadcast production unrecognizable. Studio camera operators have been replaced by fixed computer camera lenses for Zoom calls; efforts to collect high-quality audio have fallen to camera mics at best, and poor computer mics at worst in order to distance audio operators from talent or interview subjects; studio productions are a shell of what they once were; sports and event programming have diminished in frequency or disappeared altogether.
However, while many facets of media and broadcasting have seen a degradation of quality, content continues to flow. Rethinking the production process is not a bad thing, rather a challenging one. Local broadcasters may not be enjoying the large production teams they were before the pandemic, but viewing has not abated. Streaming content has exploded as it offers flexibility in accessibility to viewers and all of a sudden episodes of long forgotten shows appear quite palatable.
The landscape of these industries are evolving. The challenge is to be able to adapt to that evolution, all the while ensuring that high-quality skills remain attainable and sharp for the time when viewers no longer passively accept muddy or choppy looking video content on their 4k home screens.
What technical skills for a Scientific Technical Writer stand out to employers?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: Weirdly, the pandemic has been good to those trained in media production. All organizations now find themselves in the position to need to use digital media production tools more regularly. I can not count the number of conversations I have had with colleagues and interested parties looking for students and alumni to work with them to develop their media platform. Even if a student can not find a job in journalism, the skills they learn in our program are adaptable to a virtually endless number of organizations across the world. They know how to be effective communicators using media production tools.