Technical Writers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for technical writerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $96,970 ≈ $47/hr
National median salary $90,390
Total employment 45,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +0.9%
Slower than average
Annual openings 4,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 56,400 → 56,900 (+500)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$117,060
- New Jersey$116,550
- Massachusetts$114,610
- District of Columbia$112,210
- Washington$109,840
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$63,460
- South Dakota$65,090
- Mississippi$69,480
- Iowa$72,130
- Oklahoma$72,660
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $117,060 | $104,000 | $56 | +20.7% | 5,280 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $116,550 | $122,320 | $56 | +20.2% | 1,550 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $114,610 | $109,200 | $55 | +18.2% | 1,850 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $112,210 | $117,810 | $54 | +15.7% | 440 |
| 5 | Washington | $109,840 | $104,070 | $53 | +13.3% | 1,620 |
| 6 | Colorado | $107,560 | $100,610 | $52 | +10.9% | 1,320 |
| 7 | Maryland | $104,800 | $100,990 | $50 | +8.1% | 1,780 |
| 8 | Vermont | $101,220 | $87,860 | $49 | +4.4% | 60 |
| 9 | New York | $100,460 | $98,310 | $48 | +3.6% | 1,610 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $100,400 | $101,870 | $48 | +3.5% | 770 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $99,160 | $94,970 | $48 | +2.3% | 420 |
| 12 | Virginia | $97,090 | $93,600 | $47 | +0.1% | 2,280 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $97,050 | $102,360 | $47 | +0.1% | 150 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $96,440 | $96,300 | $46 | -0.5% | 230 |
| 15 | Oregon | $95,890 | $84,000 | $46 | -1.1% | 590 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,660 | $87,620 | $46 | -1.4% | 1,330 |
| 17 | Illinois | $92,610 | $88,700 | $45 | -4.5% | 1,040 |
| 18 | Missouri | $92,480 | $80,840 | $44 | -4.6% | 500 |
| 19 | Alabama | $92,180 | $85,840 | $44 | -4.9% | 630 |
| 20 | Florida | $92,090 | $86,240 | $44 | -5% | 2,550 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $91,620 | $86,320 | $44 | -5.5% | 2,860 |
| 22 | Nevada | $91,130 | $88,750 | $44 | -6% | 230 |
| 23 | Michigan | $90,780 | $85,270 | $44 | -6.4% | 970 |
| 24 | Delaware | $89,480 | $90,370 | $43 | -7.7% | 80 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $88,770 | $83,270 | $43 | -8.5% | 910 |
| 26 | Texas | $88,140 | $82,750 | $42 | -9.1% | 3,340 |
| 27 | Arizona | $86,510 | $79,780 | $42 | -10.8% | 730 |
| 28 | Utah | $85,950 | $80,270 | $41 | -11.4% | 570 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $85,310 | $82,540 | $41 | -12% | 700 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $84,910 | $80,030 | $41 | -12.4% | 910 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $83,190 | $81,070 | $40 | -14.2% | 340 |
| 32 | Ohio | $82,920 | $76,480 | $40 | -14.5% | 1,350 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $82,580 | $79,550 | $40 | -14.8% | 480 |
| 34 | Georgia | $82,400 | $73,070 | $40 | -15% | 1,680 |
| 35 | Alaska | $80,420 | $83,200 | $39 | -17.1% | 130 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $79,690 | $72,990 | $38 | -17.8% | 70 |
| 37 | Indiana | $78,400 | $75,510 | $38 | -19.2% | 540 |
| 38 | Montana | $76,000 | $75,070 | $37 | -21.6% | 160 |
| 39 | Kansas | $74,930 | $73,550 | $36 | -22.7% | 480 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $72,730 | $63,790 | $35 | -25% | 320 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $72,660 | $69,760 | $35 | -25.1% | 600 |
| 42 | Iowa | $72,130 | $66,520 | $35 | -25.6% | 640 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $69,480 | $65,220 | $33 | -28.3% | 70 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $65,090 | $63,350 | $31 | -32.9% | 70 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $63,460 | $61,180 | $31 | -34.6% | 150 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 157 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $140,700 | $139,970 | 920 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $135,470 | $137,560 | 1,020 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $129,590 | $127,330 | 40 |
| 4 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $119,160 | $110,000 | 80 |
| 5 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $117,130 | $114,500 | 100 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $111,750 | $115,210 | 1,590 |
| 7 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $111,050 | $111,070 | 2,170 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $107,580 | $114,910 | 1,220 |
| 9 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $106,900 | $100,190 | 160 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $105,840 | $115,710 | 140 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing technical writerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $137,650 | $144,380 | 170 |
| 2 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $127,020 | $126,770 | 220 |
| 3 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $125,620 | $127,920 | 190 |
| 4 | Utilities | $125,140 | $124,940 | 250 |
| 5 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $125,140 | $124,940 | 250 |
| 6 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $124,880 | $124,520 | 230 |
| 7 | Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $117,050 | $101,790 | — |
| 8 | Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | $114,400 | $127,750 | — |
| 9 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $111,360 | $120,080 | 2,690 |
| 10 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $111,010 | $120,080 | 2,860 |
| 11 | Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $110,840 | $120,080 | 170 |
| 12 | Other Support Services | $110,420 | $98,980 | 120 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do technical writers make in the U.S.?
The median technical writers salary in the United States is $90,390 per year (mean $96,970), and about 80% earn between $57,440 and $145,270.
How much do technical writers make per hour?
Roughly $47 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $96,970 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays technical writers the most?
California has the highest average pay for technical writers at $117,060 per year (median $104,000).
What is the job outlook for technical writers?
Employment is projected to change +0.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 4,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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