Technical Writers pay in the U.S.
$96,970avg. a year
$46.62 an hour · 45,500 employed
Technical Writers in the U.S. earn an average of $96,970 a year and a median of $90,390. Pay is highest in California ($117,060) and lowest in Arkansas ($63,460).
$90,390Median pay
$46.62Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
45,500Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for technical writers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
15,280 jobs
California
$117,060
$56.28 an hour
21,550 jobs
New Jersey
$116,550
$56.03 an hour
31,850 jobs
Massachusetts
$114,610
$55.10 an hour
4440 jobs
District of Columbia
$112,210
$53.95 an hour
51,620 jobs
Washington
$109,840
$52.81 an hour
61,320 jobs
Colorado
$107,560
$51.71 an hour
71,780 jobs
Maryland
$104,800
$50.38 an hour
860 jobs
Vermont
$101,220
$48.67 an hour
91,610 jobs
New York
$100,460
$48.30 an hour
10770 jobs
Connecticut
$100,400
$48.27 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Technical Writers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $82k$82k–$91k$91k–$97k$97k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,970 | $67.29 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $137,560 | $66.13 |
| Boulder, CO | $115,710 | $55.63 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $115,210 | $55.39 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $114,910 | $55.25 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $114,500 | $55.05 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $111,070 | $53.40 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $109,310 | $52.55 |
Related jobs
- Public Relations Specialists$84,120
- Editors$90,060
- Interpreters and Translators$66,360
- Writers and Authors$86,090
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$102,460
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$78,720
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Technical Writers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $92,180 | $85,840 | 630 |
| Alaska | $80,420 | $83,200 | 130 |
| Arizona | $86,510 | $79,780 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $63,460 | $61,180 | 150 |
| California | $117,060 | $104,000 | 5,280 |
| Colorado | $107,560 | $100,610 | 1,320 |
| Connecticut | $100,400 | $101,870 | 770 |
| Delaware | $89,480 | $90,370 | 80 |
| District of Columbia | $112,210 | $117,810 | 440 |
| Florida | $92,090 | $86,240 | 2,550 |
| Georgia | $82,400 | $73,070 | 1,680 |
| Illinois | $92,610 | $88,700 | 1,040 |
| Indiana | $78,400 | $75,510 | 540 |
| Iowa | $72,130 | $66,520 | 640 |
| Kansas | $74,930 | $73,550 | 480 |
| Kentucky | $83,190 | $81,070 | 340 |
| Louisiana | $72,730 | $63,790 | 320 |
| Maryland | $104,800 | $100,990 | 1,780 |
| Massachusetts | $114,610 | $109,200 | 1,850 |
| Michigan | $90,780 | $85,270 | 970 |
| Minnesota | $88,770 | $83,270 | 910 |
| Mississippi | $69,480 | $65,220 | 70 |
| Missouri | $92,480 | $80,840 | 500 |
| Montana | $76,000 | $75,070 | 160 |
| Nevada | $91,130 | $88,750 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $96,440 | $96,300 | 230 |
| New Jersey | $116,550 | $122,320 | 1,550 |
| New Mexico | $99,160 | $94,970 | 420 |
| New York | $100,460 | $98,310 | 1,610 |
| North Carolina | $91,620 | $86,320 | 2,860 |
| North Dakota | $79,690 | $72,990 | 70 |
| Ohio | $82,920 | $76,480 | 1,350 |
| Oklahoma | $72,660 | $69,760 | 600 |
| Oregon | $95,890 | $84,000 | 590 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,660 | $87,620 | 1,330 |
| Rhode Island | $97,050 | $102,360 | 150 |
| South Carolina | $85,310 | $82,540 | 700 |
| South Dakota | $65,090 | $63,350 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $82,580 | $79,550 | 480 |
| Texas | $88,140 | $82,750 | 3,340 |
| Utah | $85,950 | $80,270 | 570 |
| Vermont | $101,220 | $87,860 | 60 |
| Virginia | $97,090 | $93,600 | 2,280 |
| Washington | $109,840 | $104,070 | 1,620 |
| Wisconsin | $84,910 | $80,030 | 910 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$106,290
2,370 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$111,070
2,170 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$115,210
1,590 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$103,080
1,460 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$114,910
1,220 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$88,540
1,030 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$137,560
1,020 jobsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$139,970
920 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do technical writers make?
The average is $96,970 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $90,390 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $46.62, and the median is $43.46 an hour.
Which state pays technical writers the most?
California, with an average of $117,060 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $139,970.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $57,440 a year, and the top 10% earn over $145,270.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-3042. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.