Technical Writer
Technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other technical documents to communicate complex information clearly. They work closely with engineers, scientists, and product managers to understand and translate technical concepts for various audiences. The BLS reports a median salary of $79,960 with 7% projected growth. Experience with content management systems, API documentation, and docs-as-code workflows is increasingly valued.
A Day in the Life
A typical day starts by attending a product team meeting to learn about new features being developed. Mid-morning involves interviewing an engineer to understand how a new API endpoint works, then drafting reference documentation in Markdown. After lunch, the writer reviews and edits a colleague's user guide for clarity and consistency. Late afternoon includes updating screenshots in an installation guide after a UI change, running the documentation through a style checker, and publishing updated help articles to the company's knowledge base.
Key Stats
Education
Bachelor's Degree
Salary Range
Entry: $52,000
Median: $79,960
Senior: $121,000
Job Growth