How to become a Technical Writer
Official title: Technical Writers
Also called: Com Writer, Engineering Writer, Global Technical Writer, Grant Writer, Medical Writer, Narrative Writer, Principal Technical Writer, Requirements Analyst, Technical Report Writer
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
Main tasks
- 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.
- Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
- Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
- Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
- Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
- Assist in laying out material for publication.
How to become one
Technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. In addition, knowledge of or experience with a technical subject, such as science or engineering, is beneficial.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Technical Content Professional.
- College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $90,390 a year The middle half earn $70,880 to $115,510.
- About 46,400 people work in this job now, and about 46,700 are projected by 2035. (+0.8%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Technical Writer?
Technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. In addition, knowledge of or experience with a technical subject, such as science or engineering, is beneficial.
How much does a Technical Writer earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $90,390 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $70,880 to $115,510.
Is a Technical Writer a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 46,400 people now and 46,700 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Technical Writer?
Usually. 80% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Technical Writer?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.