Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Technical Writers
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-3042.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 78% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,440 | 8,600 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $97,810 | 2,630 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $83,580 | 2,340 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $103,960 | 1,420 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,990 | 1,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $130,850 | 1,240 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,220 | 1,150 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $104,990 | 1,110 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $77,760 | 970 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $135,880 | 940 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $80,240 | 920 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $93,650 | 780 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
- Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
- Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.
- Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
- Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods.
- Develop or maintain online help documentation.
- Assist in laying out material for publication.
- Study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production sequence and detail.
- Arrange for typing, duplication, and distribution of material.
- Observe production, developmental, and experimental activities to determine operating procedure and detail.
- Review manufacturer's and trade catalogs, drawings and other data relative to operation, maintenance, and service of equipment.
- Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2012-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2012-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 3 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 36
No longer listed 18
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| technical communicator | 2641.4.4 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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