How to hire a technical writer/trainer

How to hire a technical writer/trainer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step technical writer/trainer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a technical writer/trainer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new technical writer/trainer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a technical writer/trainer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The technical writer/trainer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A technical writer/trainer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, technical writer/trainers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of technical writer/trainer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Technical Writer/Trainer	Description	Hourly rate
   Technical Writer/Trainer	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.	$21-41
   Contributing Writer	A contributing writer is responsible for contributing content to a publication or a specific client, typically on a freelance basis. Contributing writers must have a strong command of their language and extensive understanding of the topics assigned to them... Show more	$16-36
   Grant Writer	Often working for a non-profit organization, a grant writer specializes in writing application letters for financial grants to foundations, government agencies, and companies. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining records of data and documentation, finding grant opportunities, participating in devising strategies that benefit the company's growth, crafting correspondence, gathering requirements, and submitting and monitoring grant proposals... Show more	$18-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Training Materials
   • Technical Documentation
   • Training Programs
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • Training Documentation
   • Technical Training
   • Training Sessions
   • SMEs
   • PowerPoint
   • User Manuals
   • User Guides
   • QA
   • Software Documentation
   • Learning Management System

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create wikis, develop and manage SharePoint sites, and regularly manage multiple projects simultaneously.
   • Instruct representatives on how to maximize functionality of relational database to effectively manage their sales territories and expenses.
   • Proofread and edit preliminary test scripts.
   • Develop the application using Java, HTML, and S.Q.L.
   • Perform some QA functions including error tracking and scoring customer service calls.
   • Create interactive web pages using OxygenXML and HTML editors that step the call center representatives through the enrollment process.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your technical writer/trainer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A technical writer/trainer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, technical writer/trainers' average salary in mississippi is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level technical writer/trainers earn 48% less than senior-level technical writer/trainers.
   • Certifications. A technical writer/trainer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a technical writer/trainer's salary.

   Average technical writer/trainer salary

   $62,509yearly

   $30.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level technical writer/trainer salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a technical writer/trainer job description

   A technical writer/trainer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a technical writer/trainer job description:

   Technical writer/trainer job description example

   Time Type: Full time
   Minimum Clearance Required to Start: TS/SCI with Polygraph
   
   Employee Type: Regular
   
   Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 25%
   
   Type of Travel: Continental US
   
   What You'll Get to Do:
   
   You will reach out to the user community and provide training across a range of users. This role plays a crucial role in impacting the mission in a positive manner. Present training and briefing materials to small and large audiences for multiple tools. Assist users with learning tools and applying to workflow. Work with user community to identify training needs across the community. Work with development teams to ensure accuracy of training materials. Assist in the development of technical training materials including online web-based training, distance learning presentations, training plans, courses, and training manuals.
   Assist in preparing and maintaining operations documentation, user guides and manuals and technical publications. Gather technical information, prepares written text. Use multiple word processing and presentation tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint, and Visio etc. Prepare and maintain operations documentation, user guides and manuals and technical publications. Prepare reports, responses, and briefings targeted to a wide range of audiences,
   Coordinate layout and design of documents. Ability to apply 508 compliance standards. Maintain a current internal documentation library.
   
   You'll Bring These Qualifications:
   
   TS/SCI with full scope polygraph
   
   These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have:
   SIGINT experience using mission analytic tools Experience with JIRA and Confluence
   
   What We Can Offer You:
   
   - We've been named a Best Place to Work by the Washington Post.
   
   - Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives.
   
   - We offer competitive benefits and learning and development opportunities.
   
   - We are mission-oriented and ever vigilant in aligning our solutions with the nation's highest priorities.
   
   - For over 55 years, the principles of CACI's unique, character-based culture have been the driving force behind our success.
   
   Company Overview: At CACI, you will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact by providing information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers. CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.
   
   As a federal contractor, CACI is subject to any federal vaccine mandates or other customer vaccination requirements. All new hires are required to report their vaccination status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find technical writer/trainers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any technical writer/trainers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level technical writer/trainers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your technical writer/trainer job on Zippia to find and attract quality technical writer/trainer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit technical writer/trainers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new technical writer/trainer

   Once you've found the technical writer/trainer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new technical writer/trainer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a technical writer/trainer?