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Job outlook for technical writer/trainers in the United States
Technical writer/trainer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected technical writer/trainer job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 3,100 new jobs for technical writer/trainers are projected over the next decade.
Technical writer/trainer salaries have increased 7% for technical writer/trainers in the last 5 years.
There are over 26,603 technical writer/trainers currently employed in the United States.
There are 98,845 active technical writer/trainer job openings in the US.
The average technical writer/trainer salary is $62,509.
Are technical writer/trainer jobs in demand?
Technical writer/trainer job and salary trends over time
Technical writer/trainer jobs over time
Technical writer/trainer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,603 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 26,929 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 27,714 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 27,230 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 26,895 | 0.01% |
Average technical writer/trainer salary over time
Technical writer/trainer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,509 | $30.05 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $61,002 | $29.33 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $60,164 | $28.93 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $59,394 | $28.55 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $58,490 | $28.12 | --0.6% |
Technical writer/trainer jobs by state
Most common states for technical writer/trainers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 170 | 24% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 220 | 23% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 132 | 23% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 279 | 21% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 213 | 20% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,153 | 19% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,073 | 19% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 144 | 19% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 141 | 19% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,264 | 18% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,010 | 18% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 632 | 18% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 526 | 17% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,623 | 16% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 462 | 16% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 314 | 16% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,353 | 15% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,004 | 15% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 127 | 15% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,401 | 14% |
Most common cities for technical writer/trainers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $69,591 |
| 2 | Bloomington | 1 | 1% | $58,894 |
| 3 | Palm Bay | 1 | 1% | $51,732 |
Technical Writer/Trainer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of technical writer/trainer experts
Robert Morris University
Tusculum University
Colorado Mesa University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Armstrong State University
Illinois State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of New Mexico
University of Rhode Island
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Ohio Northern University
California State University, Los Angeles
University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Lehigh University
California University of Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota
Bucknell University
University of California
University of Kansas
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Richard Fuller: Be open to opportunities that will present themselves in Prek-12, higher education or corporate training and development. Many places will see the value in hiring employees with the knowledge and skills that come with a Curriculum and Instruction (C&I;) degree and will create positions accordingly. Most organizations see the value of a training and development department with specific uses. Hospitals, k-12 schools, for profit organizations and nonprofit organization incorporate instructional designers with a curriculum and instruction degree. Even higher education (HE) hire instructional designers to work with faculty. HE faculty are subject matter experts but don’t know about instruction or curriculum or how to teach online or in person f2f. They also don’t understand the value or how to design and develop curriculum and transfer that to the classroom. PreK-12 utilize C&I; grads as both trainers and as coordinators of curriculum. This may require an advanced degree (graduate or doctoral), but nonetheless, it is an opportunity and something to think about as you progress through your career. Training and Development is an obvious opportunity in many corporations and organizations as C&I; prepared graduates have a body of knowledge and skills that align with training needs in designing and delivering training for corporate and organizational initiatives in all areas. There are those with a C&I; degree who also hold teaching certificates in some area of Prek-12. This may open other doors for them in teaching in the classroom but with the degree may present additional opportunities in an organization’s administrative capacity or training.
Vicky Johnson Bós
Associate Professor of EnglishTusculum University
English Language And Literature
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Students should be very familiar with using AI in responsible, informed ways to further their writing and research. Having people-skills will never go unused. Good writing and technological skills will become even more in demand with the growth of new, unexplored job markets.
What will help Technical Writer/Trainers increase their earning potential?
Vicky Johnson Bós: Have practical experience in that field through a summer job, internship, or access to expertise. Getting a Master's Degree or even a PhD can greatly influence salary potential. Be aware that you may have to take a 'starting' job at less of a good salary to get practical experience to make the leap to a better paying job.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Vicky Johnson Bós: In order for a new college graduate to be successful in a career, they should have done/should do the following:
* Take advantage of an internship for practical experience
* Seriously consider a Master's Degree
* Have a portfolio of personal work to show during interviews
* Collect business cards of people in your future job market and network!
* Have a polished, professional resume`
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD
Associate Professor of EnglishColorado Mesa University
English Language And Literature
What general advice would you give to a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD: Skills that are becoming important and prevalent over the next 3-5 years would include an ability to work with artificial intelligence, an ability to collaborate, and the ability to communicate.
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD: In terms of general advice, students just entering the career field after graduating should apply far and wide. In other words, I would suggest that students not limit themselves because they might be surprised where they can land a job. With that said, they should still tailor their application materials for the job that they want, instead of just sending out the same materials again/again.
What will help Technical Writer/Trainers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Tiffany Kinney PhD: Skills that are becoming important and prevalent over the next 3-5 years would include an ability to work with artificial intelligence, an ability to collaborate, and the ability to communicate.
Natalie Becerra
Career Development SpecialistUniversity of Nebraska - Lincoln
Journalism
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Natalie Becerra: I think some very important skills that will be important to have are resourcefulness and research skills. Especially in the journalism and media industries everything is very trend driven. That means people need to have better research-backed strategies if they want to see long-term, sustainable success. It will be hard to just rely on clickbait and bandwagoning forever, so people should sharpen their research skills and foster a sense of curiosity and resourcefulness to dig deeper and find information for themselves.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Dr. Kymberly Harris PhD: New graduates entering the field of Curriculum & Instruction should prioritize building a diverse skill set, staying current with educational trends, and actively seeking opportunities for professional development. Cultivating strong verbal and written communication skills will enhance collaboration with colleagues, parents, and students. Adapting to evolving educational methodologies, such as culturally relevant pedagogies, will contribute to long-term success.
What will help Technical Writer/Trainers increase their earning potential?
Anthony Piña Ed.D.: Working with and leading people-including managing conflict-is undertaught in our current ed tech programs. Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning will continue to rise in importance. Those going into industry (and increasingly in academe) are expected to have skills in multimedia/video production and interactive authoring, e.g., Articulate, Adobe Captivate. Of course, an ed tech professional will be expected to be up-to-speed in the use and affordances of AI.
Randall Auxier
Professor of Philosophy and Communication StudiesSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Rhetoric And Composition/Writing Studies
What general advice would you give to a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Randall Auxier: Being the writer in your workplace can be seriously enhanced by the ability to do animation, illustration, graphics, charts, and to create good-looking documents with publishing software (e.g., Indesign). Being only the writer is limiting by comparison. Working with images of all kinds is almost as important as the writing.
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Randall Auxier: Writers have to be patient about this. The fields that were once supporting writers (e.g., journalism) have dried up. No one gets paid much for this kind of work any more. The best strategy is to seek a position that has upward mobility and become a writer in the fashion described above. You have to be good at it, of course, to increase your value to a company. Being sure that you are credited for everything you do, in the text, is very important, in creating a portfolio that makes you mobile. People will let you go uncredited unless you insist on being credited. Here you really must be bold. You are not moving your career forward unless you are credited for everything you do. No one can reasonably deny your request to be credited, so insist on it.
What will help Technical Writer/Trainers increase their earning potential?
Randall Auxier: At first it isn't going to be any fun. Writing is something every office needs --and being the person in the workplace who can do that provides a secure niche. You need not start in a job that has writing as one of its main requirements; rather, you take what you can get and then work your way into the writing role --any time something needs to be written, volunteer to do it. Soon you'll have more than you can handle. At this point, look for ways to get your writing seen as yours, newsletter, liaison with the communications office for your workplace, etc. Being known by your co-workers as a writer can lead all kinds of places, although not usually toward management. It's opportunity to write increasingly important things that counts as upward movement.
Kate Cunningham
Multimedia communication instructorUniversity of New Mexico
Department of Communication and Journalism
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Writer/Trainers?
Kate Cunningham: As you can imagine, journalism has become more and more digital, and technical skills play more of a role than they did just a few years ago. For example, if you understand the basics of publishing using a content management system, that's an advantage. If you can add good quality and well-edited video to your online news story, that's an advantage too. Video, for example, helps you add new dimensions to your story and brings in new audience members. We know some people will watch a video and not read a story and vice versa.
Other important technical skills include knowing how to use spreadsheets to analyze data.
What's a good job out of college for Technical Writer/Trainers?
John Pantalone: At this point, at the risk of being sarcastic, any job is a good job. The real answer is that it depends on the field you plan to go into and what you consider a good job. A livable wage with reasonable benefits is part of the equation; the other part is whether you genuinely enjoy the work.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
John Pantalone: I don't think we have any idea what the long-term effects of the pandemic will be either in economic terms, health terms, or employment terms. It is much too soon to tell. Everything depends on what the government does, how corporations respond to the changing economic climate and evolving technologies. In the field of journalism, everything is up in the air and it will be years before we have a good idea of how journalism will evolve and survive.
What technical skills for a Technical Writer/Trainer stand out to employers?
John Pantalone: Hard to say. I'm sure good computer skills are important in any job, but so are strong communication skills. If by technical skills you mean software programs, etc., it again depends on the nature of the job/work. Knowledge of basic software, social media platforms, data interpretation all seem important now.
Kevin Pulz
Academic Department Chair/Senior Producer-Director, Milwaukee PBSMilwaukee Area Technical College
Television and Video Production/eProduction- Milwaukee PBS
What technical skills for a Technical Writer/Trainer stand out to employers?
Kevin Pulz: What skills AREN'T desirable to employers? Video Editors need to be motion graphics stars as well. Videographers are more valuable if they are photojournalists or video essayists in addition. On-line content mediators and creators are in demand as corporations that once flew in employees for training are finding all sorts of benefits to creating visual media locally and sharing globally.
There's no substitute for solid production skills and strength in technology as a whole; but there's a voracious appetite for cutting edge approaches to content treatment, acquisition and delivery. Possessing the ability to deliver on both the audio and video quality we've come to expect as well as the promise of developing fresh modes of content creating utilizing new and exciting technologies positions anyone early on their career well for long-term success in a rapidly challenging and exciting world of media.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
Kevin Pulz: There's no doubt that the pandemic has and will continue to have a clear impact on current college/university students and upcoming and recent graduates. The way things are 'done', for example, has been redefined in a fashion that in some ways makes traditional broadcast production unrecognizable. Studio camera operators have been replaced by fixed computer camera lenses for Zoom calls; efforts to collect high-quality audio have fallen to camera mics at best, and poor computer mics at worst in order to distance audio operators from talent or interview subjects; studio productions are a shell of what they once were; sports and event programming have diminished in frequency or disappeared altogether.
However, while many facets of media and broadcasting have seen a degradation of quality, content continues to flow. Rethinking the production process is not a bad thing, rather a challenging one. Local broadcasters may not be enjoying the large production teams they were before the pandemic, but viewing has not abated. Streaming content has exploded as it offers flexibility in accessibility to viewers and all of a sudden episodes of long forgotten shows appear quite palatable.
The landscape of these industries are evolving. The challenge is to be able to adapt to that evolution, all the while ensuring that high-quality skills remain attainable and sharp for the time when viewers no longer passively accept muddy or choppy looking video content on their 4k home screens.
What's a good job out of college for Technical Writer/Trainers?
Kevin Pulz: Broadcasting is still, strangely, considered a glamor field in so many ways. Little do people realize that cable wrapping and happily executed grunt work are essential talents that often separate the job recipient from the 5 interviewees and 95 applicants for a gig that pays less than fast-food work, even with a college degree.
So a good job out of college is ANY job in the field. Being 'in' and demonstrating one's ability in a professional environment remains key to opportunity in the future.
That said, it's clear that an area of media that's ripe for growth is multiplatform content delivery. It's in the wheelhouse of recent graduates based upon age and media consumption habits and, with traditional broadcast audiences growing older, an aspect of content creation that promises to grow even more legs as distribution methodologies develop and mature.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: I have argued that the pandemic has dropkicked society, culture, and daily activities fifty years into the future. We are doing more decentralized work virtually from home. The journalism industry seems to have felt the boot prints of that dropkick as much as any industry. One of the continuous influences of COVID-19 post-pandemic appears to be the "home studio model" for broadcasters and journalism organizations. I would point to the "Room Raters" Twitter account as evidence for this claim. It seems that people are more comfortable with reporting from home. Journalism graduates are now presenting news stories in a quasi-informal manner. The general public seems to be okay seeing journalists in more business casual clothing than the power suit.
It has also fundamentally changed the functional roles of journalists. Contributors and correspondents show off their credibility by displaying the books they wrote on the shelves behind them or the visual artifacts of their subject of expertise. Anchors have a screen behind them, highlighting the story with some visuals. Citizen journalists are finding more accessible access to essential sources via Zoom or Skype. Reporters are framing their interviews via those services as well.
What's a day at work look like for a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: This line of evidence is pointing to one central truth. Those that practiced multimedia journalism techniques before the pandemic will find success now. Also, organizations are looking for those graduates that can be a "one-stop-shop" for producing stories from home. I don't believe that trend will change. This trend also addresses the third question. Graduates are leaving colleges better prepared to use computer-mediated communication tools to complete their jobs' essential tasks. They understand how to be engaging and communicate effectively via their more contemporary communication tools.
What technical skills for a Technical Writer/Trainer stand out to employers?
Shane Tilton Ph.D.: Weirdly, the pandemic has been good to those trained in media production. All organizations now find themselves in the position to need to use digital media production tools more regularly. I can not count the number of conversations I have had with colleagues and interested parties looking for students and alumni to work with them to develop their media platform. Even if a student can not find a job in journalism, the skills they learn in our program are adaptable to a virtually endless number of organizations across the world. They know how to be effective communicators using media production tools.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
Kate Kurtin Ph.D.: Yes! Absolutely! We can only assume that the whole world will be affected by this pandemic for years to come. The workforce, for starters, will be tremendously affected. Currently, for example, there are limited service jobs in parts of the country. These are jobs that millions of graduates hold. We also have the highest unemployment rate in modern history. Once the country opens up again and companies begin to hire again, everyone who lost their job in the last year will be competing with recent graduates on the same job market. We saw this after the recession as well.
Speaking more positively, companies are now realizing that their employees can work effectively and efficiently from home. It has been predicted that this will shift many more traditional office jobs to permanent telecommuting. This is great news for graduates because they can broaden their job search.
I am also hopeful that creative industries will getting very busy soon. Personally, I teach in advertising and public relations and those industries will be in high demand.
What's a good job out of college for Technical Writer/Trainers?
Kate Kurtin Ph.D.: Any job that you are passionate about and brings you joy is a great job out of college. Don't look for a "forever job" after college, look for a job where you can learn and grow and support yourself.
What technical skills for a Technical Writer/Trainer stand out to employers?
Kate Kurtin Ph.D.: Every article on the subject says that communication skills are the most important skills to have when on the job market - and this is not my bias speaking, even Warren Buffet said it! Public speaking, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, etc., these are things that stand out to employers.
What experience really stands out on Technical Writer/Trainer resumes?
Patricia Hastings: The experience I think everyone needs is video, for those who aren't going into that area. Everyone uses video. Having an understanding of how to make your message or story translate to video is important and it's not that easy to do. That, and the ability to enterprise story ideas. Actually taking an idea and turning into a story for online, or broadcast or print is key. You can't tell the story the same way for each one, and so to analyze and then make a good story is important.
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate HeadUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro
Department of English
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Writer/Trainer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.: Obviously work that can be done remotely is at a premium, and writers in particular will benefit from this. Freelance writers have long worked remotely and on their own schedule. The shift now will involve science writers, technical writers, corporate communications professionals-anyone who knows how to put sentences together with clarity, elegance, and professionalism. So the ability to write well-the way that English majors are trained to-is key to capitalizing on the trends.
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.: I think graduates should always find ways to offer their services to professional organizations-nonprofits, small businesses, even larger firms. If graduates can get a foot in the door with a professional organization-paid or unpaid-and work to hone their writing and communicating skills, they'll be well positioned to pursue a variety of alternative career paths.
Jack Lule Ph.D.
Lacocca ProfessorLehigh University
Department of Journalism and Communication
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
Jack Lule Ph.D.: I think the pandemic will have enduring impacts on many aspects of life, from restaurants to public transportation to city living-to, not in the least, journalism. Many media organizations were already quite fragile because of the ongoing loss of advertisers and paying subscribers. The pandemic hastened their demise. Ironically, in some ways, that is good news for college graduates. The news organizations that remain will have truly endured the worst of times and will be looking to grow.
Another more subtle aspect of the pandemic for journalism careers is the renewed respect for local news. Social media and the big media corporations are great at covering national and international news. But, during the pandemic, where did people go for news on how the virus was affecting their own schools, towns, restaurants, hospitals, sports? The local news media. I think the pandemic will actually help strengthen local news media and provide really interesting jobs.
What type of skills will young Technical Writer/Trainers need?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: College graduates in 2021 and beyond, need all of the skills that English programs have to offer: critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility. New hires need to be able to adapt to workplace changes quickly and with aplomb, which requires critical thinking and problem solving and the ability to communicate those solutions to a diverse audience clearly and effectively. Those skills are refined and practiced regularly in English programs.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Writer/Trainer?
Thomas Reynolds: I think there will be a lasting impact of this pandemic on graduates. The nature of the field is that others in the industry (scientists, engineers, for ex.) often take on tech writing and communication tasks in tight economic conditions, or even just as a matter of a particular culture in a particular business. However, the field of technical communication has been predicted to have a strong future (see Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts growth in jobs in this field).
Technical writing and communication require that students are comfortable with technology and communication and that they adapt to changing situations. I think there are also opportunities for savvy graduates who can offer certain skills and experiences that are unique to the changing situation. This field has a long history of resilience for its graduates seeking jobs in tough circumstances.
What Technical Writer/Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Thomas Reynolds: Technical writing and communication can span many fields. However, there are specific fields that are especially open to technical communication, such as information technology and computer software (technical documentation, for example), as well as medical and health fields. Many of our graduates work for companies that involve computer technology, such as software companies and content management for web consulting firms. In addition, many of our graduates work in biomedical companies that require technical and global documentation of medical devices.
I can't say that I know of a sure bet, but places that deal with medical technology, healthcare, and related fields are probably going to need people well-trained to communicate specialized knowledge to a variety of audiences and in a variety of ways. Telemedicine seems to have gained a more permanent stronghold in the healthcare system, and I imagine that the various communication channels involved in this new way of practicing medicine will open opportunities for well-trained graduates, such as ours who are willing to be pioneers in this area.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Writer/Trainers?
Thomas Reynolds: Technology is constantly changing, and the pandemic has put a wrinkle on innovations that will have an impact on the field of TWC. Yet technical writing and communication have always involved changing technologies -- it is one of the hallmarks of the field. In addition, remote work is common in technical communication, and many scholars have written about the phenomenon, including global virtual teams and distributed workplaces. In any case, technical writers and communicators learn to think about the intersection of technology with the audience.
I think that traditional notions of communicationm such as establishing a friendly, businesslike ethos and considering the very real material circumstances of audiences, will remain uppermost as graduates adapt to the technological changes. Part of this work will also involve recognizing and working to improve social injustices that employers are increasingly in need of addressing. New technologies that emerge will also be part of the landscape for graduates, and they will be eager to learn these new tools.
Sarah Bell
Senior Associate Director, CounselingBucknell University
Center for Career Advancement
How do you envision technology impacting Technical Writer/Trainers in the next 5 years?
Sarah Bell: As mentioned in #2, English majors go into many fields, and technology is affecting most of them now. We will likely always need creators, editors, and researchers of content, which will certainly make English majors useful in a variety of fields, due to (or in spite of) the technology advances. Experience in learning and utilizing a variety of software, platforms, and social media tools will only enhance their ability to complete their work in an effective and efficient manner in a variety of work settings.
Catherine Nesci
Professor of French & Comparative Literature; Affiliate in Feminist StudiesUniversity of California
Department of French and Italian
How do you envision technology impacting Technical Writer/Trainers in the next 5 years?
Catherine Nesci: The spread of online teaching will show administrators easy ways to cut costs, even though face-to-face learning is superior, and students are now so nostalgic about it. There could be a stable development of new methods, helping better pedagogical approaches. But overall, technology will increase the ratio of instructors to students, alas.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Technical Writer/Trainers in the next 3-5 years?
Patricia Gaston: It is tough to know what kind of technology will be the most important and prevalent in the next three to five years. But one thing remains constant -- learn the basics (grammar, how to write and communicate, different forms of writing), and it will serve you well, even though the technology may change.