The salary statistics of technical writers in the industry sector of information are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare technical writers salaries in different industries within the information sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $42,930 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $55,250 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $73,410 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $93,630 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $118,330 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for technical writers in the industry sector of information. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) technical writers is $118,330. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $73,410. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid technical writers is $42,930.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of technical writers in the industry sector of information from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $73,410 | 1.91% | 4.02% |
| 2017 | $72,010 | 3.17% | - |
| 2016 | $69,730 | -1.96% | - |
| 2015 | $71,100 | 2.74% | - |
| 2014 | $69,150 | -1.79% | - |
| 2013 | $70,390 | -0.10% | - |
| 2012 | $70,460 | - | - |
The average salaries of technical writers in six industries in the information sector are shown below. We note that within this industry sector, the salaries vary among different industries. The highest paying industry for technical writers occupations is the cable and other subscription programming industry with an annual salary $85,350. The lowest paying industry is the motion picture and video industries industry (annual salary $58,950). For detailed technical writers salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].