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What does a technical publications writer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
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Technical publications writer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real technical publications writer resumes:

  • Identify and initiate wholesale computer upgrade to accommodate new CMS while allocating and managing staff resources devote to developing the software.
  • Review products and abstracts to verify that all vetting and dissemination requirements are meet prior to product dissemination/distribution to DHS costumers.
  • Identify and initiate wholesale computer upgrade to accommodate new CMS while allocating and managing staff resources devote to developing the software.

Technical publications writer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Technical Publications Writers are proficient in Technical Publications, Technical Manuals, and Technical Support. They’re also known for soft skills such as Technical skills, Detail oriented, and Writing skills.

We break down the percentage of Technical Publications Writers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Technical Publications, 17%

    Composed written text for technical publications used by this major manufacturer of commercial and defense aircraft.

  • Technical Manuals, 12%

    Provided Logistical assistance during Technical Manual Review conferences which included; in-process evaluations, design reviews, and quarterly progress meetings.

  • Technical Support, 8%

    Assisted with the design and layout of fact sheets for the EPA Technical Support Project.

  • Subject Matter Experts, 8%

    Work with Subject Matter Experts on content and approvals when necessary.

  • FAA, 6%

    Reviewed and edited all data prior to being provided to the customer or the FAA.

  • Engineering Drawings, 5%

    Developed Work Authorization Documents from engineering drawings for Payload/Mechanical System Engineering Department.

"technical publications," "technical manuals," and "technical support" are among the most common skills that technical publications writers use at work. You can find even more technical publications writer responsibilities below, including:

Technical skills. The most essential soft skill for a technical publications writer to carry out their responsibilities is technical skills. This skill is important for the role because "technical writers must be able to understand complex information." Additionally, a technical publications writer resume shows how their duties depend on technical skills: "researched, organized, wrote, and edited press releases and proposals for both technical and non-technical audiences. "

Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling technical publications writer duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "technical writers create instructions for others to follow." According to a technical publications writer resume, here's how technical publications writers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "developed and implemented webhelp, flashhelp, microsoft html help, printed documentation and object oriented context sensitive help for d.b. "

Writing skills. This is an important skill for technical publications writers to perform their duties. For an example of how technical publications writer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "technical communicators must have excellent writing skills to be able to explain technical information clearly." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a technical publications writer: "managed responsibilities for writing, validating and maintaining organizational-level maintenance technical publications for c-130 aircraft. ".

See the full list of technical publications writer skills

Compare different technical publications writers

Technical publications writer vs. Writing consultant

A writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.

We looked at the average technical publications writer salary and compared it with the wages of a writing consultant. Generally speaking, writing consultants are paid $35,952 lower than technical publications writers per year.Even though technical publications writers and writing consultants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require press releases, powerpoint, and training materials in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, technical publications writer responsibilities require skills like "technical publications," "technical manuals," "technical support," and "subject matter experts." Meanwhile a typical writing consultant has skills in areas such as "writing process," "proper grammar," "grammatical errors," and "mla." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

On average, writing consultants reach higher levels of education than technical publications writers. Writing consultants are 7.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Technical publications writer vs. Writer

A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.

On average, writers earn a $2,383 lower salary than technical publications writers a year.A few skills overlap for technical publications writers and writers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "subject matter experts," "rfp," and "press releases. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real technical publications writer resumes. While technical publications writer responsibilities can utilize skills like "technical publications," "technical manuals," "technical support," and "faa," writers use skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "basic math," and "customer service."

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Writers tend to reach similar levels of education than technical publications writers. In fact, they're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Technical publications writer vs. Staff writer

Proposal Writers help clients win contracts, grants from the government, or even permission to perform a consulting service. They must ensure that all important information is included in the paperwork and documents.

An average staff writer eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of technical publications writers. The difference in salaries amounts to staff writers earning a $23,682 lower average salary than technical publications writers.technical publications writers and staff writers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "press releases," "adobe photoshop," and "powerpoint," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a technical publications writer is likely to be skilled in "technical publications," "technical manuals," "technical support," and "subject matter experts," while a typical staff writer is skilled in "feature stories," "news stories," "event coverage," and "news articles."

Staff writers earn the highest salary when working in the non profits industry, where they receive an average salary of $54,426. Comparatively, technical publications writers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $71,983.staff writers typically earn similar educational levels compared to technical publications writers. Specifically, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Technical publications writer vs. Proposal writer

Proposal writers typically earn higher pay than technical publications writers. On average, proposal writers earn a $180 higher salary per year.While both technical publications writers and proposal writers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like subject matter experts, sharepoint, and technical documentation, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between technical publications writers and proposal writers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a technical publications writer might have more use for skills like "technical publications," "technical manuals," "technical support," and "faa." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of proposal writers require skills like "business development," "proposal content," "past performance," and "project management. "

In general, proposal writers earn the most working in the insurance industry, with an average salary of $70,514. The highest-paying industry for a technical publications writer is the technology industry.proposal writers reach higher levels of education compared to technical publications writers, in general. The difference is that they're 9.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of technical publications writer

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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