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Senior technical writer salary
Average senior technical writer salary
$70,820
Average Senior Technical Writer Salary
The average salary for a Senior Technical Writer stands at approximately $70,820 per year, or about $34 per hour. This figure can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, Senior Technical Writers in high-demand areas or specialized sectors often earn significantly more.
Salary Variations by State
In states like California and New York, salaries can reach upwards of $90,000, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Conversely, regions with a lower cost of living offer salaries around $60,000. Understanding these differences is crucial for professionals contemplating relocation or job changes.
Highest Paying Industries
Industries such as technology, healthcare, and finance tend to offer the highest salaries for Senior Technical Writers. By targeting job opportunities in these sectors, candidates can position themselves for competitive compensation.
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Where can a Senior Technical Writer earn more?
Senior technical writer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior technical writer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior technical writers are California, Massachusetts, and Virginia. The lowest average senior technical writer salary states are Oklahoma, Iowa, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior technical writers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $70,858 | $34.07 |
| 2 | Georgia | $73,642 | $35.40 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $68,173 | $32.78 |
| 4 | Nevada | $68,047 | $32.71 |
| 5 | California | $98,354 | $47.29 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $81,326 | $39.10 |
| 7 | Virginia | $79,681 | $38.31 |
| 8 | Colorado | $69,152 | $33.25 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $77,242 | $37.14 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $67,193 | $32.30 |
| 11 | New York | $69,389 | $33.36 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $72,261 | $34.74 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $68,969 | $33.16 |
| 14 | Alaska | $67,621 | $32.51 |
| 15 | Washington | $73,612 | $35.39 |
| 16 | Vermont | $71,048 | $34.16 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $70,556 | $33.92 |
| 18 | Michigan | $63,506 | $30.53 |
| 19 | Oregon | $69,290 | $33.31 |
| 20 | Texas | $63,894 | $30.72 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $62,795 | $30.19 |
| 22 | Arizona | $69,102 | $33.22 |
| 23 | Kansas | $62,602 | $30.10 |
| 24 | Illinois | $63,108 | $30.34 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $69,678 | $33.50 |
| 26 | Utah | $65,658 | $31.57 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $60,984 | $29.32 |
| 28 | Delaware | $62,848 | $30.22 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $60,599 | $29.13 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $60,628 | $29.15 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $63,596 | $30.57 |
| 32 | Ohio | $58,759 | $28.25 |
| 33 | Maryland | $66,872 | $32.15 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $59,518 | $28.61 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $58,130 | $27.95 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $61,021 | $29.34 |
| 37 | Missouri | $59,906 | $28.80 |
| 38 | Montana | $62,784 | $30.18 |
| 39 | Alabama | $58,832 | $28.28 |
| 40 | Indiana | $57,970 | $27.87 |
| 41 | Florida | $58,543 | $28.15 |
| 42 | Maine | $58,521 | $28.14 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $57,578 | $27.68 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $55,854 | $26.85 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $53,845 | $25.89 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $55,042 | $26.46 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $60,333 | $29.01 |
| 48 | Iowa | $55,200 | $26.54 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $55,605 | $26.73 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $54,939 | $26.41 |
| 51 | Idaho | $54,559 | $26.23 |
Highest paying cities for senior technical writers
The highest-paying cities for senior technical writers are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and McLean, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $107,132 | $51.51 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $81,315 | $39.09 |
| 3 | McLean, VA | $80,081 | $38.50 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $77,284 | $37.16 |
| 5 | Olympia, WA | $74,825 | $35.97 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $73,732 | $35.45 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $72,600 | $34.90 |
| 8 | Carson City, NV | $71,405 | $34.33 |
| 9 | Bismarck, ND | $70,503 | $33.90 |
| 10 | Concord, NH | $70,368 | $33.83 |
| 11 | Trenton, NJ | $69,670 | $33.50 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $69,518 | $33.42 |
| 13 | Salem, OR | $69,431 | $33.38 |
| 14 | Colorado Springs, CO | $69,405 | $33.37 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $69,241 | $33.29 |
| 16 | Hartford, CT | $69,020 | $33.18 |
| 17 | Cheyenne, WY | $68,044 | $32.71 |
| 18 | Annapolis, MD | $66,985 | $32.20 |
| 19 | Juneau, AK | $66,348 | $31.90 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $65,454 | $31.47 |
Senior technical writer salary details
A senior technical writer's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $92,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior technical writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $70,820 | $5,902 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
Highest paying senior technical writer jobs
The highest paying types of senior technical writers are document manager, senior editor, and managing editor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Content Editor | $61,694 | $5,141 | $29.66 | 18,586 |
| Document Manager | $97,896 | $8,158 | $47.07 | 4,092 |
Top companies hiring senior technical writers now:
Which companies pay senior technical writers the most?
Senior technical writer salaries at PayPal and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior technical writer salary at companies like NVIDIA and Flexport are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayPal | $110,209 | $52.99 |
| 2 | Apple | $110,116 | $52.94 |
| 3 | NVIDIA | $104,775 | $50.37 |
| 4 | Flexport | $104,217 | $50.10 |
| 5 | VMware | $101,497 | $48.80 |
| 6 | Workday | $101,208 | $48.66 |
| 7 | F5 | $101,071 | $48.59 |
| 8 | Microsoft | $100,179 | $48.16 |
| 9 | Amazon | $99,650 | $47.91 |
| 10 | Visa | $99,468 | $47.82 |
| 11 | Avid | $97,192 | $46.73 |
| 12 | Western Digital | $96,840 | $46.56 |
| 13 | Zscaler | $95,188 | $45.76 |
| 14 | Zebra Technologies | $95,173 | $45.76 |
| 15 | Snowflake Computing | $93,593 | $45.00 |
| 16 | i Manage Holdings Pty | $90,615 | $43.56 |
| 17 | Walmart | $90,314 | $43.42 |
| 18 | A10 Networks | $90,134 | $43.33 |
| 19 | MongoDB | $89,564 | $43.06 |
| 20 | MathWorks | $87,707 | $42.17 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Technical Writer salary by industry
The average senior technical writer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior technical writer salary in the technology industry is $71,710, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior technical writer salary in the finance industry is $71,537.
- Senior technical writers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $68,265, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior technical writers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $71,710 | $34.48 |
| 2 | Health Care | $71,537 | $34.39 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $70,523 | $33.91 |
| 4 | Finance | $69,676 | $33.50 |
| 5 | Professional | $68,265 | $32.82 |
High paying senior technical writer jobs
Senior technical writer salary trends
The average senior technical writer salary has risen by $9,525 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior technical writer earned $61,295 annually, but today, they earn $70,820 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for senior technical writers over the last decade.
Compare senior technical writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior technical writer salary over time
Compare senior technical writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior technical writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,800 | $34.05 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $69,100 | $33.23 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $68,200 | $32.77 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $67,300 | $32.35 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $66,300 | $31.86 | -0.6% |
Recently added senior technical writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Government Services | Senior Technical Writer | Pierre, SD | 06/30/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer (TOP Secret Clearance Required) | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $119,885 |
| Contact Government Services | Senior Technical Writer | Wyoming | 06/30/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer | Rockville, MD | 06/29/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer | Birmingham, AL | 06/29/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer | Kansas City, MO | 06/29/2025 | $81,120 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Technical Writer | Trenton, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $81,120 |
| Freddie Mac | Senior Learning Technical Writer (VA or TX) | McLean, VA | 06/28/2025 | $98,000 |
| Fresenius Kabi Us | SR Technical Writer | Wilson, NC | 06/28/2025 | $75,000 |
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