Technical Writer Salary
Technical Writers earn a median $90,390 a year nationally. Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
U.S. median
$90,390
$43.46 per hour
Range
$57,440 – $145,270
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
45,500
across the U.S.
Technical Writer take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$72,419
per year · effective tax rate 19.9%
$6,035Monthly
$3,017Twice a month
$2,785Every 2 weeks
$34.82Hourly
- Federal income tax$11,056
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,604
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,311
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$72,419
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $57,440 | $27.62 | $48,333 |
| 25th percentile | $70,880 | $34.08 | $58,694 |
| Median (50th) | $90,390 | $43.46 | $72,419 |
| 75th percentile | $115,510 | $55.53 | $90,091 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $145,270 | $69.84 | $110,558 |
Best cities for technical writers (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $140,700 | $96,750 | $87,617 | 920 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $135,470 | $93,730 | $81,072 | 1,020 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $107,580 | $84,513 | $76,046 | 1,220 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $111,750 | $82,079 | $75,812 | 1,590 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $103,360 | $77,704 | $73,457 | 800 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $102,140 | $76,197 | $72,925 | 820 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $93,580 | $71,438 | $72,780 | 630 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $88,360 | $70,991 | $72,391 | 650 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $111,050 | $81,442 | $72,352 | 2,170 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $87,360 | $70,288 | $71,265 | 660 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $92,390 | $70,151 | $69,942 | 560 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,330 | $70,950 | $69,183 | 710 |
| 13 | Orlando, FL | $86,600 | $69,753 | $68,778 | 470 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $86,520 | $69,697 | $67,608 | 1,030 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $99,910 | $73,593 | $67,588 | 2,370 |
| 16 | Los Angeles, CA | $104,000 | $75,200 | $66,217 | 1,460 |
| 17 | San Diego, CA | $101,750 | $73,855 | $66,009 | 520 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $82,610 | $64,159 | $65,907 | 560 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $89,960 | $67,809 | $65,456 | 790 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $83,480 | $65,680 | $63,572 | 490 |
| 21 | Minneapolis, MN | $86,340 | $65,222 | $62,222 | 670 |
| 22 | Miami, FL | $84,750 | $68,452 | $59,964 | 560 |
| 23 | Atlanta, GA | $75,140 | $58,414 | $58,380 | 890 |
| 24 | Portland, OR | $81,540 | $59,888 | $56,809 | 460 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- San Jose, CA — $140,700
- San Francisco, CA — $135,470
- Boston, MA — $111,750
- New York, NY — $111,050
- Seattle, WA — $107,580
- Los Angeles, CA — $104,000
- Denver, CO — $103,360
- Baltimore, MD — $102,140
- San Diego, CA — $101,750
- Washington, DC — $99,910
- Raleigh, NC — $93,580
- Detroit, MI — $92,390
- Philadelphia, PA — $92,330
- Chicago, IL — $89,960
- Austin, TX — $88,360
Technical Writer salary by state
| State | Median | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $122,320 | $89,270 | $69,400 – $163,390 | 1,550 |
| District of Columbia | $117,810 | $84,664 | $74,720 – $148,770 | 440 |
| Massachusetts | $109,200 | $80,412 | $71,120 – $165,060 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $104,070 | $82,043 | $60,420 – $169,810 | 1,620 |
| California | $104,000 | $75,200 | $69,630 – $175,510 | 5,280 |
| Rhode Island | $102,360 | $77,580 | $77,480 – $115,380 | 150 |
| Connecticut | $101,870 | $76,468 | $63,710 – $127,830 | 770 |
| Maryland | $100,990 | $75,443 | $72,880 – $149,740 | 1,780 |
| Colorado | $100,610 | $75,891 | $69,730 – $160,950 | 1,320 |
| New York | $98,310 | $73,231 | $53,560 – $152,570 | 1,610 |
| New Hampshire | $96,300 | $76,577 | $63,500 – $130,970 | 230 |
| New Mexico | $94,970 | $72,319 | $53,280 – $130,260 | 420 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $70,110 | $60,930 – $139,470 | 2,280 |
| Delaware | $90,370 | $67,782 | $60,990 – $117,210 | 80 |
| Nevada | $88,750 | $71,266 | $56,710 – $124,800 | 230 |
| Illinois | $88,700 | $66,985 | $58,800 – $130,890 | 1,040 |
| Vermont | $87,860 | $67,301 | $61,220 – $223,650 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,620 | $67,781 | $54,220 – $158,180 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $86,320 | $66,621 | $53,790 – $139,950 | 2,860 |
| Florida | $86,240 | $69,500 | $59,520 – $132,380 | 2,550 |
| Alabama | $85,840 | $65,191 | $60,700 – $123,140 | 630 |
| Michigan | $85,270 | $65,444 | $57,600 – $127,070 | 970 |
| Oregon | $84,000 | $61,404 | $58,990 – $150,220 | 590 |
| Minnesota | $83,270 | $63,271 | $58,670 – $127,390 | 910 |
| Alaska | $83,200 | $67,361 | $61,020 – $102,120 | 130 |
| Texas | $82,750 | $67,045 | $50,590 – $127,920 | 3,340 |
| South Carolina | $82,540 | $63,102 | $57,360 – $120,930 | 700 |
| Kentucky | $81,070 | $63,143 | $54,300 – $120,350 | 340 |
| Missouri | $80,840 | $62,839 | $51,170 – $192,040 | 500 |
| Utah | $80,270 | $62,654 | $50,610 – $132,590 | 570 |
| Wisconsin | $80,030 | $62,270 | $56,460 – $119,930 | 910 |
| Arizona | $79,780 | $63,169 | $60,100 – $119,930 | 730 |
| Tennessee | $79,550 | $64,793 | $50,430 – $108,890 | 480 |
| Ohio | $76,480 | $61,313 | $48,970 – $125,150 | 1,350 |
| Indiana | $75,510 | $59,753 | $52,350 – $106,680 | 540 |
| Montana | $75,070 | $58,761 | $65,630 – $89,280 | 160 |
| Kansas | $73,550 | $57,268 | $49,250 – $102,440 | 480 |
| Georgia | $73,070 | $57,065 | $57,970 – $122,290 | 1,680 |
| North Dakota | $72,990 | $60,014 | $50,460 – $110,150 | 70 |
| Oklahoma | $69,760 | $55,312 | $48,130 – $103,440 | 600 |
| Iowa | $66,520 | $53,751 | $52,750 – $98,970 | 640 |
| Mississippi | $65,220 | $52,707 | $45,740 – $85,980 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $63,790 | $51,908 | $53,220 – $94,680 | 320 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 | $53,082 | $49,490 – $84,090 | 70 |
| Arkansas | $61,180 | $49,165 | $45,170 – $81,330 | 150 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a technical writer make?
The national median salary for technical writers is $90,390 a year ($43.46 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $57,440 and the top 10% earn over $145,270. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays technical writers the most?
New Jersey has the highest median pay at $122,320. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many technical writers are there in the U.S.?
About 45,500 people work as technical writers nationwide.