Technical illustrators create drawings that show how parts work together. You create these drawings using digital technology and usually work primarily in some engineering field (as that's where stuff gets complicated and needs your skills to help create clear examples).

You can become a freelance technical illustrator without an illustration degree. Many artists in the industry aren't illustration graduates, and most clients will judge you by the quality of the work in your portfolio-not by the degree or diploma that you might or might not have on paper.

Technical illustrators are in demand across various industries, but it is usually up to the illustrators to create this demand. It is the virtue of this demand that the salary paid for this role is relatively high. Technical illustrators in the US typically earn $65,384 per year or $31 per hour.

What Does a Technical Illustrator Do

There are certain skills that many technical illustrators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed business skills, customer-service skills and dexterity.

How To Become a Technical Illustrator

If you're interested in becoming a technical illustrator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 47.2% of technical illustrators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.2% of technical illustrators have master's degrees. Even though most technical illustrators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Technical Illustrator

Technical Illustrator Career Paths

Average Salary for a Technical Illustrator

Technical Illustrators in America make an average salary of $52,828 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $91,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $30,000 per year.
Average Technical Illustrator Salary
$52,828 Yearly
$25.40 hourly

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Roles and Types of Technical Illustrator

The role of a technical illustrator includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general technical illustrator responsibilities:

  • Interpret level iii engineering drawings for conversion into compatible line drawings. Convert halftones (photographs) into line drawings
  • Create technical illustrations for use in military publications. Evaluate
  • Develops, designs, plans, lays out, and produces a variety of technical

There are several types of technical illustrator, including:

Technical Writer

Role:

Technical writers have a specific area that they are very knowledgable about. And that means they're desperately sought after by companies. Not only are technical writers knowledgable about a certain subject, but they're able to write clearly about it, too. Talk about being talented.

A lot of the time, you'll review documents that may prove difficult to digest, due to technical terminology. However, with your expertise you should be able to figure it out in no time. And then, of course, write about it in a way that's digestable for the public.

Technical writing is a great job, due to how many jobs there are out there. You could be a technical writer for anything from an auto shop to the medical industry. Plus, the career is growing every day. You should see where technical writing can take you. We'll bet it'll surprise you.

  • Average Salary: $65,329
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Technical Writer And Editor

Role:

A technical writer editor is responsible for sourcing technical information and creating technical documents and educative materials for digital platforms. The documents could be in the form of user guides, API developer guides, installation instructions, and configuration instructions for system operations. Since you also double as an editor, your work also includes proofreading and editing such written technical documents. You must continuously edit and review the content you put up to ensure that the users get the experience and information they require.

You need to have at least a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, English, or in other related fields. Your written and verbal communication skills must be top-notch. You must be able to create contents that would be easily understood by tech-savvy and non-technical audiences. In-depth knowledge about digital platforms and computer languages would be a boost for this role. Technical writers and editors earn an average of $56,349 yearly.

  • Average Salary: $65,088
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Technical Editor

Role:

Technical editors proofread, revise, rewrite and edit technical content. This includes research reports, scientific and technical publications, clinical research protocols, learning materials and user manuals, and web content, among others. They work on various subjects that are not limited to car engines, computers, or breakthroughs in medicine. They review the work of technical writers. Besides that, they provide suggestions to improve the article and propose possible titles. Also, they ensure the technical publications are best suited for the targeted audiences.

To become a technical editor, you need at least a bachelor's degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related discipline. You may be required to undergo specialized training to acquire knowledge of the field you'd be working in. You must possess writing, editing, and creativity skills. You must be familiar with relevant ethics. Technical editors earn an average salary of $63,425 annually. This varies from $40,000 and $100,000.
  • Average Salary: $61,717
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Technical Illustrator Jobs

Number Of Technical Illustrator Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Texas2,836$40,400
2New York2,087$56,528
3Florida1,785$43,860
4Illinois1,646$46,198
5Pennsylvania1,445$49,820
6North Carolina1,325$44,265
7Georgia1,297$43,215
8Ohio1,140$51,239
9California1,054$51,816
10Michigan930$43,288
11Minnesota925$39,896
12Colorado857$39,360
13Indiana719$42,355
14Wisconsin665$41,592
15Missouri632$41,586
16Tennessee578$41,918
17Connecticut465$60,760
18South Carolina449$46,362
19Kansas358$39,528
20Kentucky352$46,668
21Alabama351$39,854
22Iowa350$42,978
23Virginia332$50,119
24Arkansas323$35,755
25Nebraska290$40,898
26Nevada288$60,684
27Washington283$41,053
28Maryland274$57,950
29Louisiana272$48,223
30Oklahoma266$39,053
31Massachusetts252$47,611
32New Mexico242$41,045
33Mississippi178$44,899
34Delaware160$64,555
35Oregon159$42,178
36Maine146$33,681
37New Jersey134$57,431
38West Virginia133$52,582
39North Dakota127$43,840
40South Dakota119$43,115
41Alaska102$50,486
42Arizona102$47,066
43Utah91$41,284
44New Hampshire53$47,985
45Rhode Island38$56,687
46Idaho30$37,542
47Vermont19$42,988
48Wyoming18$36,001
49Hawaii17$51,725
50Montana16$43,664

Technical Illustrator Education

Technical Illustrator Majors

Technical Illustrator Degrees

Bachelors

47.2 %

Associate

40.0 %

High School Diploma

3.7 %

Top Colleges for Technical Illustrators

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
English
Education

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Computer Science
English
Liberal Arts

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Communication
Education
Computer Science

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Computer Science
Business
Education
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Information Systems
Computer Applications

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Communication
Graphic Design
Computer Applications

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Communication

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Communication
English

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Communication
Computer Science
General Education, Specific Areas
Mechanical Engineering

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Mechanical Engineering
Education
Communication
Fine Arts

Top Skills For a Technical Illustrator

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 10.4% of technical illustrators listed adobe illustrator on their resume, but soft skills such as business skills and customer-service skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Technical Illustrator Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Technical Illustrator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Technical Illustrator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
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Technical Illustrator Resume
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Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume
Technical Illustrator Resume

Technical Illustrator Demographics

Technical Illustrator Gender Distribution

Male
Male
69%
Female
Female
31%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among technical illustrators, 31.3% of them are women, while 68.7% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among technical illustrators is White, which makes up 67.7% of all technical illustrators.

  • The most common foreign language among technical illustrators is Spanish at 26.3%.

Online Courses For Technical Illustrator That You May Like

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1. Introduction to Technical Support

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Gain the daily work skills and knowledge you’ll need for IT Technical Support career success. This course, part of the IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate, is designed for beginners with no prior IT experience or formal degree. Get an insider’s view into IT Support work. Learn about IT Support roles and levels, the support escalation matrix, ticketing systems, common support tools, and remote support software. Then, hear about career opportunities and career pathways from...

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2. Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career

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Technical Writing: How to Become a Profitable, Reliable, and Successful Technical Writer...

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3. Technical Writing: How to Write Software Documentation

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Learn a proven strategy for writing software docu in GitHub wiki based on the 12 main principles of technical writing!...

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Top Technical Illustrator Employers

Most Common Employers For Technical Illustrator

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Applied Materials$140,995$67.796
2Caterpillar$84,661$40.708
3DXC Technology$76,714$36.887
4Kodak$68,113$32.757
5Northrop Grumman$62,847$30.2124
6Boeing$55,923$26.8963
7Lockheed Martin$50,842$24.4414
8Teledyne Brown Engineering$45,577$21.917
9Honeywell$45,447$21.858
10Almon$44,870$21.5710

Technical Illustrator Videos