How much does a technical writer make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $43.46 an hour or $7,533 a month.
- Hourly
- $43.46
- Average (mean)
- $96,970
- Jobs
- 45,500
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $57,440 | $27.62 | |
| 25th | $70,880 | $34.08 | |
| Median | $90,390 | $43.46 | |
| 75th | $115,500 | $55.53 | |
| 90th | $145,300 | $69.84 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| New Jersey | $122,300 |
| District of Columbia | $117,800 |
| Massachusetts | $109,200 |
| Washington | $104,100 |
| California | $104,000 |
| Rhode Island | $102,400 |
| Connecticut | $101,900 |
| Maryland | $101,000 |
| Colorado | $100,600 |
| New York | $98,310 |
| New Hampshire | $96,300 |
| New Mexico | $94,970 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Delaware | $90,370 |
| Nevada | $88,750 |
| Illinois | $88,700 |
| Vermont | $87,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,620 |
| North Carolina | $86,320 |
| Florida | $86,240 |
| Alabama | $85,840 |
| Michigan | $85,270 |
| Oregon | $84,000 |
| Minnesota | $83,270 |
| Alaska | $83,200 |
| Texas | $82,750 |
| South Carolina | $82,540 |
| Kentucky | $81,070 |
| Missouri | $80,840 |
| Utah | $80,270 |
| Wisconsin | $80,030 |
| Arizona | $79,780 |
| Tennessee | $79,550 |
| Ohio | $76,480 |
| Indiana | $75,510 |
| Montana | $75,070 |
| Kansas | $73,550 |
| Georgia | $73,070 |
| North Dakota | $72,990 |
| Oklahoma | $69,760 |
| Iowa | $66,520 |
| Mississippi | $65,220 |
| Louisiana | $63,790 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 |
| Arkansas | $61,180 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| San Jose, CA | $140,700 |
| San Francisco, CA | $135,500 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $129,600 |
| Kennewick, WA | $119,200 |
| Trenton, NJ | $117,100 |
| Boston, MA | $111,800 |
| New York, NY | $111,100 |
| Seattle, WA | $107,600 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $106,900 |
| Boulder, CO | $105,800 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $104,500 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $104,000 |
| Augusta, GA | $103,700 |
| Denver, CO | $103,400 |
| Savannah, GA | $103,000 |
In other countries
Technical Writer belongs to the international group "Authors and related writers".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
- Broadcast Announcer and Radio Disc Jockey$47,340
- News Analyst$62,200
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Interpreter and Translator$60,170
- Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner$72,420
- Media and Communication Worker$73,620
Frequently asked questions
How much does a technical writer make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $43.46 ($90,390 a year).
How much does a technical writer make a month?
About $7,533 a month before tax, based on a median of $90,390 a year.
How much does a technical writer make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $57,440 or less a year ($27.62 an hour); the top 10% make $145,300 or more.
Which state pays technical writers the most?
New Jersey, with a median of $122,300 a year, followed by District of Columbia ($117,800) and Massachusetts ($109,200).
Which city pays technical writers the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $140,700 a year.
How many technical writers are there in the United States?
About 45,500 people work as technical writers.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.