Technical Writing

Lesson 1: Introduction to Becoming a Technical Writer

What Kind of Salary Can I Expect?

Entry-level technical writing jobs usually pay somewhere between $30 to $40,000 per year depending on the type of writing (For example, writing for a technical audience usually pays more).

The median salary for an entry-level technical writing job in the computer industry is around $35,000 though pay varies by region and background. The Society for Technical Communication surveys the salaries of technical writers every year and publishes the results on their Web site. There is a link to the Society in the Resources section.

Experienced writers in the computer industry can go as high $75,000 or even higher if they have a strong technical background, while the median income for all technical writers in all fields is around $47,000.

By the way, the field is a great one for women, and they make up about two-thirds of all technical writers. You should be aware that there are significant regional differences in pay scales. Average rates in Northern California or the Northeast around Boston, for example, are higher than the national averages mentioned above.

The lifetime of many new writing projects--especially software ones--varies from a few months to two or more years. Therefore, some high-tech companies do not wish to hire permanent tech writers.

This has led to a great many technical writers into work as freelance contractors. You could say that these writers are rather like "hired guns," who work for a firm for the duration of the project. Such contractors usually earn from $30-$75/hour depending on where they are, the type of industry, their experience, and so forth.

Freelancers who use agencies to find work usually earn a somewhat lower rate--from $25-$60 per hour. A few freelance technical writers earn $80-$100,000 a year. However, most freelance contractors earn $35-$60,000 in a typical year.

While you may make a higher hourly rate as a contractor, the downside is that you do not get many--if any--benefits if you work for an agency. Many of them offer health and other insurance at group rates, and some now offer 401k savings plans, but do not expect these agencies to help pay for your insurance or contribute to your savings plan (a few do).

You may find it difficult to find work as a freelance contractor until you have built up a portfolio. Thus, most freelancers start out as a staff person though the reverse is true also. For example, my spouse started out as a contractor, but the company for whom she worked eventually hired her as a permanent employee.

Recommended ReadingThe Complete Idiot's Guide To Technical Writing, Pages 8-12

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