Technical writer demographics and statistics in the US
Technical writer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates technical writer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our technical writer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about technical writers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 23,634 technical writers currently employed in the United States.
- 50.3% of all technical writers are women, while 49.7% are men.
- The average technical writer age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of technical writers is White (71.6%), followed by Asian (8.7%), Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Black or African American (6.6%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 11% of all technical writers are LGBT.
- Technical writers are 56% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Technical writer demographics by:
Technical writer gender statistics
50.3% of technical writers are women and 49.7% of technical writers are men.
- Female, 50.3%
- Male, 49.7%
Technical writer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 50.3% |
| Male | 49.7% |
Technical writer gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$66,257
Female income
$63,980
Technical writer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in technical writer positions over time. Currently, 50.3% of technical writers are female.
Technical writer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 51.49% | 48.51% |
| 2011 | 52.41% | 47.59% |
| 2012 | 48.73% | 51.27% |
| 2013 | 53.53% | 46.47% |
| 2014 | 48.57% | 51.43% |
| 2015 | 52.02% | 47.98% |
| 2016 | 52.31% | 47.69% |
| 2017 | 51.95% | 48.05% |
| 2018 | 47.82% | 52.18% |
| 2019 | 50.10% | 49.90% |
| 2020 | 53.80% | 46.20% |
| 2021 | 49.72% | 50.28% |
Technical writer related jobs gender ratio
We compared technical writers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public address announcer and track announcer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Paraprofessional Interpreter | 12% | 88% |
| Deaf Interpreter | 15% | 85% |
| Fashion Journalist | 15% | 85% |
| Technical Writer | 50% | 50% |
| Sports Announcer | 91% | 9% |
| Track Announcer | 92% | 8% |
| Public Address Announcer | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Technical writer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among technical writers is White, which makes up 71.6% of all technical writers. Comparatively, 8.7% of technical writers are Asian and 7.8% of technical writers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 71.6%
- Asian, 8.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Technical writer race
| Technical writer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 71.6% |
| Asian | 8.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Technical writer race and ethnicity over time
See how technical writer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Technical writer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 78.00% | 7.27% | 5.96% | 5.51% |
| 2011 | 79.55% | 6.22% | 6.57% | 5.29% |
| 2012 | 79.09% | 5.74% | 6.26% | 5.92% |
| 2013 | 80.34% | 5.91% | 5.30% | 5.95% |
| 2014 | 77.69% | 7.08% | 5.93% | 6.84% |
| 2015 | 77.57% | 7.52% | 7.18% | 6.06% |
| 2016 | 79.51% | 5.17% | 7.32% | 6.07% |
| 2017 | 78.40% | 7.16% | 5.80% | 6.68% |
| 2018 | 77.40% | 5.89% | 7.94% | 6.27% |
| 2019 | 78.42% | 5.43% | 7.49% | 5.69% |
| 2020 | 71.91% | 4.97% | 9.41% | 7.18% |
| 2021 | 71.59% | 6.60% | 8.70% | 7.79% |
Technical writer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian technical writers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino technical writers have the lowest average salary at $63,335.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $66,632 |
| White | $64,764 |
| Black or African American | $67,020 |
| Asian | $69,708 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $63,335 |
Average technical writer age
See how the average age of technical writers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Technical writer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45 | |
| White | 48 | 44.5 |
| Black or African American | 32 | |
| Asian | 50 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 34.5 |
Technical writer age breakdown
The average age of technical writers is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the technical writer population.
Technical writer age breakdown
| Technical Writer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 65% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Technical writer educational attainment
The most common degree for technical writers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of technical writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Technical writers by degree level
| Technical writer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Master's | 12% |
| Associate | 11% |
| Doctorate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Technical writer jobs you might like
Technical writer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,906 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,272 |
Technical writer employment statistics
Most technical writers work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where technical writers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where technical writers work.
Technical writer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 5% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 9% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 51% |
Technical writer jobs by company type
Employees with the technical writer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most technical writers prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Technical writer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 56% |
| Private | 40% |
| Government | 2% |
Technical writer jobs by industry
The most common industries for technical writers are technology, professional and finance.
Technical writer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 24% |
| Fortune 500 | 22% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Technical writer turnover and employment statistics
Technical writer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for technical writers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Technical writer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Technical writer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.51% |
| 2011 | 8.24% |
| 2012 | 7.83% |
| 2013 | 6.26% |
| 2014 | 4.75% |
| 2015 | 4.38% |
| 2016 | 4.41% |
| 2017 | 4.58% |
| 2018 | 5.16% |
| 2019 | 4.19% |
| 2020 | 5.41% |
| 2021 | 4.60% |
Average technical writer tenure
The average technical writer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 35,421 technical writers resumes in Zippia's database.
Technical writer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Technical writer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of technical writers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper Writer | 10.10% | 10,512 |
| Radio Board Operator | 10.34% | 28,352 |
| Technical Writer | 10.84% | - |
| Communications Coordinator | 12.01% | 39,790 |
| Historical Interpreter | 14.90% | 3,552 |
| Program Writer | 16.36% | 67,545 |
| Ringmaster | 16.36% | 66 |
Similar technical writer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper Writer | 10.10% | 10,512 |
| Radio Board Operator | 10.34% | 28,352 |
| Communications Coordinator | 12.01% | 39,790 |
| Historical Interpreter | 14.90% | 3,552 |
| Program Writer | 16.36% | 67,545 |
| Ringmaster | 16.36% | 66 |
Foreign languages spoken by technical writers
The most common foreign language among technical writers is Spanish at 39.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.6% and German is the third-most popular at 9.8%.
- Spanish, 39.9%
- French, 16.6%
- German, 9.8%
- Japanese, 4.5%
- Chinese, 3.9%
- Other, 25.3%
Technical writer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 39.9% |
| French | 16.6% |
| German | 9.8% |
| Japanese | 4.5% |
| Chinese | 3.9% |
| Other | 25.3% |
