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.
Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels.
DutiesTechnical writers typically do the following:
Technical writers create paper-based and digital operating instructions, how-to manuals, assembly instructions, and “frequently asked questions” pages to help technical support staff, consumers, and other users within a company or an industry. After a product is released, technical writers also may work with product liability specialists and customer-service managers to improve the end-user experience through product design changes.
Technical writers often work with computer hardware engineers, scientists, computer support specialists, and software developers to manage the flow of information among project workgroups during development and testing. Therefore, technical writers must be able to understand complex information and communicate the information to people with diverse professional backgrounds.
Applying their knowledge of the user of the product, technical writers may serve as part of a team conducting usability studies to help improve the design of a product that is in the prototype stage. Technical writers may conduct research on their topics through personal observation, library and Internet research, and discussions with technical specialists.
Technical writers are also responsible for managing the consistency of technical content and its use across business departments including product development, manufacturing, marketing, and customer relations.
Some technical writers help write grant proposals for research scientists and institutions.
Increasingly, technical information is being delivered online and through social media. Technical writers are using the interactive technologies of the Web and social media to blend text, graphics, multidimensional images, sound, and video.
A college degree is usually required for a position as a technical writer. In addition, experience with a technical subject, such as computer science, Web design, or engineering, is important.
EducationEmployers generally prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, or communications. Many technical writing jobs require both a degree and knowledge in a specialized field, such as engineering, computer science, or medicine. Web design experience also is helpful because of the growing use of online technical documentation.
Work Experience in a Related OccupationSome technical writers begin their careers as specialists or research assistants in a technical field. They eventually develop technical communication skills and assume primary responsibilities for technical writing. In small firms, beginning technical writers may work on projects right away; in larger companies with more standard procedures, beginners may observe experienced technical writers and interact with specialists before being assigned projects.
TrainingMany technical writers need short-term on-the-job training to adapt to a different style of writing.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsSome associations, including the Society for Technical Communication, offer certification for technical writers. In addition, the American Medical Writers Association offers extensive continuing education programs and certificates in medical writing. These certificates are available to professionals in the medical and allied scientific communication fields.
Although not mandatory, certification can demonstrate competence and professionalism, making candidates more attractive to employers. It can also increase a technical writer’s opportunities for advancement.
AdvancementProspects for advancement generally include working on more complex projects and leading or training junior staff. Some technical writers become self-employed and produce work on a freelance basis.
Important QualitiesCommunication skills. Technical writers must be able to take complex, technical information and translate it for colleagues and consumers who have nontechnical backgrounds.
Detail oriented. Technical writers create detailed instructions for others to follow. As a result, they must be detailed and precise at every step so that the instructions can be useful.
Imagination. Technical writers must be able to think about a procedure or product in the way a person without technical experience would think about it.
Teamwork. Technical writers must be able to work well with others. They are almost always part of a team: with other writers; with designers, editors, and illustrators; and with the technical people whose information they are explaining.
Technical skills. Technical writers must be able to understand highly complex information. Many technical writers need a background in engineering or computer science in order to do this.
Writing skills. Technical communicators must have excellent writing skills to be able to explain technical information clearly.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the right jobs to get there.
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of business analyst you might progress to a role such as project manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title senior product manager.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
Kforce Technical Writer/Manufacturing Planner 3 Technical Writer/Manufacturing Planner 3 | Kforce Kforce | 03/30/2021 03/30/2021 | $73,04503/30/2021 $73,045 |
Aerotek Sales & Marketing-Technical Writer Sales & Marketing-Technical Writer | Aerotek Aerotek | 03/30/2021 03/30/2021 | $73,04503/30/2021 $73,045 |
Randstad Analyst/Technical Writer Analyst/Technical Writer | Randstad Randstad | 03/29/2021 03/29/2021 | $33,39203/29/2021 $33,392 |
Georgia Department of Revenue Dhs/Dfcs Technical Writer Dhs/Dfcs Technical Writer | Georgia Department of Revenue Georgia Department of Revenue | 03/29/2021 03/29/2021 | $51,81103/29/2021 $51,811 |
Leidos Technical Writer Technical Writer | Leidos Leidos | 03/26/2021 03/26/2021 | $68,90003/26/2021 $68,900 |
Use Zippia's Salary Calculator to see how your pay matches up.
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Technical Writer. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Technical Writer Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Technical Writer resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationHouston, TX • Public
Athens, GA • Public
San Marcos, TX • Public
Evanston, IL • Private
Cambridge, MA • Private
University Park, PA • Public
Stanford, CA • Private
Syracuse, NY • Private
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Boston, MA • Private
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, 7.9% of technical writers listed technical documentation on their resume, but soft skills such as imagination and technical skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a technical writer. The best states for people in this position are Massachusetts, Washington, California, and Vermont. Technical writers make the most in Massachusetts with an average salary of $77,262. Whereas in Washington and California, they would average $74,825 and $72,236, respectively. While technical writers would only make an average of $69,791 in Vermont, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Nevada
$65,986
Avg. Salary
2. Maine
$69,055
Avg. Salary
3. West Virginia
$68,208
Avg. Salary
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ technical writers and discovered their number of technical writer opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Microsoft was the best, especially with an average salary of $94,624. IBM follows up with an average salary of $82,308, and then comes Lockheed Martin with an average of $77,539. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a technical writer. The employers include TEKsystems, Molina Healthcare, and Computer Aid
