How much does a Technical Writer make?
Experience
- All years of Experience
- 0-1 Years
- 1-3 Years
- 4-6 Years
- 7-9 Years
- 10-14 Years
- 15+ Years
Industry
- All industries
- Legal
- Aerospace & Defense
- Agriculture
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
- Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
- Management & Consulting
- Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services
- Personal Consumer Services
- Education
- Financial Services
- Government & Public Administration
- Healthcare
- Information Technology
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Media & Communication
- Nonprofit & NGO
- Energy, Mining & Utilities
- Real Estate
- Restaurants & Food Service
- Retail & Wholesale
- Telecommunications
- Transportation & Logistics
- Hotels & Travel Accommodation
- Human Resources & Staffing
$82K
/yrThe estimated total pay for a Technical Writer is $81,808 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $77,147 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $4,661 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $67K-$101K/yr?
For Technical Writer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Technical Writer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Technical Writer | $81,808 /yr |
| Senior Technical Writer | $108,495 /yr |
| Lead Technical Writer | $106,535 /yr |
Top Paying Companies
For a Technical Writer in United States
Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Technical Writer in United States. Employers include Google, Tanium and Apple.
Top Paying Companies
For Technical Writer in United States
| 1 | $169,557 | ||
| 2 | Tanium | $155,042 | |
| 3 | Apple | $151,629 | |
| 4 | Meta | $147,198 | |
| 5 | Cisco Systems | $137,572 | |
| 6 | VMware | $137,125 | |
| 7 | Microsoft | $134,420 | |
| 8 | Splunk | $132,073 | |
| 9 | Yahoo | $131,651 | |
| 10 | Salesforce | $128,457 |
For Technical Writer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Technical Writer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Technical Writer | $81,808 /yr |
| Senior Technical Writer | $108,495 /yr |
| Lead Technical Writer | $106,535 /yr |
What are total pay estimates for a Technical Writer at different companies?
- Popular
- Most Reports
- Salary: high to low
- Salary: low to high
$151,629
/ yr
$169,557
/ yr
$79,246
/ yr
$104,484
/ yr
$67,888
/ yr
$87,487
/ yrIs this salary info helpful?
Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere
$78,575
/ yr
$102,788
/ yr
$137,572
/ yr
$91,652
/ yr
$49
/ hr
$89,640
/ yr
$114,275
/ yr
$134,420
/ yr
$38
/ hr
$88,024
/ yrTechnical Writer Salaries
Top Paying Industries
For a Technical Writer in United States
The top 5 paying industries for a Technical Writer in United States are Financial Services with a median total pay of $99,971, Telecommunications with a median total pay of $91,838, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $88,070, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $87,560, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $87,257.
Financial Services
Top paying companies in Financial Services for Technical Writer are Goldman Sachs, American Express, and Citi.
Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview
What is the pay outlook for Arts & Design?
Jobs in arts & design are growing due to increased access to remote work. These jobs often require a bachelor’s degree and technical skills such as graphic design software, web-development and research. Salaries vary, as jobs tend to be short-term and contractual, offering workers flexible schedules and the opportunity to manage multiple projects at once.
Recent Salaries Shared
For technical writer
Job Title
Location
Total Pay
Base Pay | Additional Pay
Total Years of Experience
Years at Recent Employer
Submitted
Date or Time
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/yr
$75K | $2K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 7-9 years
/yr
$87K | $1K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
$74K | $24K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 10-14 years
/yr
$70K | $5K
Submitted Yesterday
Technical Writer pay FAQ
The average salary for a Technical Writer is $81,808 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 9701 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Technical Writer employees in United States.
The highest salary for a Technical Writer in United States is $100,804 per year.
The lowest salary for a Technical Writer in United States is $66,623 per year.
If you are thinking of becoming a Technical Writer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Technical Writer.
Pay for technical writers varies by specialty. Medical writing is one of the highest paid subfields, a trend driven by continuing pharmaceutical innovation. Technical writers with advanced degrees in related fields like public health or scientific communication, as well as those with extensive work experience, are especially desirable candidates. Additionally, a strong writing sample can help an applicant to command especially high pay.
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Technical writers work in a flexible field with lots of room to earn a higher salary. According to ratings from Glassdoor data, about 73% of technical writers say they're satisfied with how much they get paid.
If you work as an entry-level technical writer, you can expect to make around $77,146.97, since the range for this job doesn't change much with experience. Most people in the technical writing field earn about $81,807.51 in total pay, including additional compensation. In fact, some technical writers reach an income of $121,440.91 in the course of their careers.
Earning industry certifications from professional organizations can increase your salary as a technical writer. The Society for Technical Communication offers three levels of accreditation as a Certified Professional Technical Communicator: Foundation, Practitioner, and Expert. If you work in the medical field, one of the fastest growing areas for technical writers, you can get the Medical Writer Certification by passing an exam given by the American Medical Writers Association. Building up a strong portfolio and landing projects from high-profile clients can also help increase your earnings, especially as you expand your skills into new formats and niche areas.
Negotiating a higher technical writer salary can take many forms, depending on whether you'll be a freelance or full-time member of the team. Generally, you should justify your target number by providing information from trustworthy industry sources about how much writers with your level of experience get paid on average. You can also command a higher salary in negotiations if you know the latest software, such as Microsoft SharePoint and Adobe Acrobat. Highlight your continuing education to show the employer your commitment to learning and growing in this role. You can also take on extra projects thanks to the flexibility of technical writer jobs.