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Technical writer/trainer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a technical writer/trainer. Technical writer/trainers usually study business, english, or education. 67% of technical writer/trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,357 real technical writer/trainer resumes to see exactly what technical writer/trainer education sections show.
The most common colleges for technical writer/trainers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online technical writer/trainer courses to help get the education required to be a technical writer/trainer.
There are certain technical writer/trainer certifications that you should consider. These technical writer/trainer certifications include Certified Technical Professional (CTP) and Master Project Manager (MPM).
What education do you need to become a technical writer/trainer?
What degree do you need to be a technical writer/trainer?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 13%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a technical writer/trainer?
- Business, 16%
- English, 16%
- Education, 7%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for technical writer/trainers
| Technical writer/trainer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.83% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.28% |
| New York University | 6.37% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.73% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.73% |
Best majors for technical writer/trainers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.9% |
| 2 | English | 15.7% |
| 3 | Education | 6.7% |
| 4 | Communication | 6.6% |
| 5 | Writing | 6.3% |
Best colleges for technical writer/trainers
The best colleges for technical writer/trainers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A technical writer/trainer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for technical writer/trainers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become technical writer/trainers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of Houston
Houston, TX ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$41,870
Enrollment
8,200
9. Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$38,178
Enrollment
6,008
10. Boston University
Boston, MA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for technical writer/trainers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for technical writer/trainers
The most affordable schools for technical writer/trainers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for technical writer/trainers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for technical writer/trainers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for technical writer/trainers
The hardest universities for technical writer/trainers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for technical writer/trainers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for technical writer/trainers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL ⢠Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO ⢠Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC ⢠Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. New York University
New York, NY ⢠Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX ⢠Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for technical writer/trainers
The easiest schools for technical writer/trainers to get into are Holy Names University, notre dame de namur university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a technical writer/trainer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for technical writer/trainers.
1. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK ⢠Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME ⢠Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Barry University
Miami, FL ⢠Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH ⢠Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ ⢠Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI ⢠Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI ⢠Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average technical writer/trainer salary by education level
| Technical writer/trainer education level | Technical writer/trainer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,222 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,607 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025