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Senior technical writer and editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior technical writer and editor. Senior technical writer and editors usually study english, business, or writing. 73% of senior technical writer and editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 947 real senior technical writer and editor resumes to see exactly what senior technical writer and editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior technical writer and editors are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online senior technical writer and editor courses to help get the education required to be a senior technical writer and editor.

There are certain senior technical writer and editor certifications that you should consider. These senior technical writer and editor certifications include Certified Technical Professional (CTP) and Certified Professional Technical Communicator - Expert (CPTC).

What education do you need to become a senior technical writer and editor?

What degree do you need to be a senior technical writer and editor?

The most common degree for senior technical writer and editors is bachelor's degree, with 73% of senior technical writer and editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior technical writer and editor?

You should major in english to become a senior technical writer and editor. 26% of senior technical writer and editors major in english. Other common majors for a senior technical writer and editor include business and writing.

Most common colleges for senior technical writer and editors

Senior technical writer and editors often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, Pennsylvania State University, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for senior technical writer and editors in the US based on their resumes.
Senior technical writer and editor common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park9.43%
Pennsylvania State University7.55%
George Mason University7.55%
University of Washington6.60%
University of Houston5.66%

Best majors for senior technical writer and editors

RankMajorPercentages
1English25.7%
2Business10.2%
3Writing9.3%
4Journalism8.6%
5Communication7.1%

Best colleges for senior technical writer and editors

The best colleges for senior technical writer and editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Northeastern University.

A senior technical writer and editor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior technical writer and editors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior technical writer and editors.

1. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

2. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

3. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. Emerson College

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$46,852

Enrollment

3,817

20 best online courses for senior technical writer and editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior technical writer and editors

The most affordable schools for senior technical writer and editors are University of Florida, brigham young university, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for senior technical writer and editors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior technical writer and editors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$7,879

Cost of attendance

21,223

7. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior technical writer and editors

The hardest universities for senior technical writer and editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for senior technical writer and editors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior technical writer and editors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA • Private

Admissions rate

36%

SAT average

1,330

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior technical writer and editors

The easiest schools for senior technical writer and editors to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior technical writer and editor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior technical writer and editors.

1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,069

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average senior technical writer and editor salary by education level

According to our data, senior technical writer and editors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,293 annually. Senior technical writer and editors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $66,997.
Senior technical writer and editor education levelSenior technical writer and editor salary
Master's Degree$66,997
Bachelor's Degree$67,293

Senior technical writer and editor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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