SOC 27-3042 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Technical Writers

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$90,390

U.S. median hourly wage$43.46

U.S. employment45,500

Nationally, technical writers earned a median of $90,390 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 45,500 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Technical Writers: pay and employment by state
State
New Jersey	$122,320	$58.81	1,550	0.4
District of Columbia	$117,810	$56.64	440	0.6
Massachusetts	$109,200	$52.50	1,850	0.5
Washington	$104,070	$50.03	1,620	0.5
California	$104,000	$50.00	5,280	0.3
Rhode Island	$102,360	$49.21	150	0.3
Connecticut	$101,870	$48.98	770	0.5
Maryland	$100,990	$48.55	1,780	0.6
Colorado	$100,610	$48.37	1,320	0.5
New York	$98,310	$47.26	1,610	0.2
New Hampshire	$96,300	$46.30	230	0.3
New Mexico	$94,970	$45.66	420	0.5
Virginia	$93,600	$45.00	2,280	0.6
Delaware	$90,370	$43.45	80	0.2
Nevada	$88,750	$42.67	230	0.1
Illinois	$88,700	$42.65	1,040	0.2
Vermont	$87,860	$42.24	60	0.2
Pennsylvania	$87,620	$42.12	1,330	0.2
North Carolina	$86,320	$41.50	2,860	0.6
Florida	$86,240	$41.46	2,550	0.3
Alabama	$85,840	$41.27	630	0.3
Michigan	$85,270	$40.99	970	0.2
Oregon	$84,000	$40.38	590	0.3
Minnesota	$83,270	$40.03	910	0.3
Alaska	$83,200	$40.00	130	0.4
Texas	$82,750	$39.78	3,340	0.2
South Carolina	$82,540	$39.68	700	0.3
Kentucky	$81,070	$38.97	340	0.2
Missouri	$80,840	$38.86	500	0.2
Utah	$80,270	$38.59	570	0.3
Wisconsin	$80,030	$38.48	910	0.3
Arizona	$79,780	$38.36	730	0.2
Tennessee	$79,550	$38.24	480	0.1
Ohio	$76,480	$36.77	1,350	0.2
Indiana	$75,510	$36.30	540	0.2
Montana	$75,070	$36.09	160	0.3
Kansas	$73,550	$35.36	480	0.3
Georgia	$73,070	$35.13	1,680	0.3
North Dakota	$72,990	$35.09	70	0.2
Oklahoma	$69,760	$33.54	600	0.4
Iowa	$66,520	$31.98	640	0.4
Mississippi	$65,220	$31.36	70	0.1
Louisiana	$63,790	$30.67	320	0.2
South Dakota	$63,350	$30.46	70	0.1
Arkansas	$61,180	$29.41	150	0.1
Puerto Rico	$46,950	$22.57	60	0.1
Hawaii	Not published	Not published	30	0.1
Idaho	Not published	Not published	430	0.5
Maine	Not published	Not published	310	0.5
Nebraska	Not published	Not published	190	0.2
West Virginia	Not published	Not published	130	0.2
Wyoming	Not published	Not published	30	0.1

Pay by metro area

All 140 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Technical Writers: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$140,700	$67.65	920	0.8
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$135,470	$65.13	1,020	0.4
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$129,590	$62.30	40	0.2
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$119,160	$57.29	80	0.6
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$117,130	$56.31	100	0.4
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$111,750	$53.72	1,590	0.6
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$111,050	$53.39	2,170	0.2
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$107,580	$51.72	1,220	0.6
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$106,900	$51.40	160	0.4
Boulder, CO	$105,840	$50.89	140	0.7
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$104,450	$50.21	60	0.3
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$104,000	$50.00	1,460	0.2
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	$103,730	$49.87	160	0.7
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$103,360	$49.69	800	0.5
Savannah, GA	$103,000	$49.52	120	0.6
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$102,470	$49.26	250	0.4
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$102,140	$49.11	820	0.6
Idaho Falls, ID	$101,790	$48.94	70	0.9
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$101,750	$48.92	520	0.3
Knoxville, TN	$101,430	$48.77	100	0.2
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$100,650	$48.39	130	1.1
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$99,910	$48.03	2,370	0.8
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$98,800	$47.50	70	0.2
Worcester, MA	$98,020	$47.13	100	0.3
Lexington Park, MD	$97,810	$47.02	80	1.1
Manchester-Nashua, NH	$97,360	$46.81	60	0.3
Huntsville, AL	$96,470	$46.38	340	1.3
Colorado Springs, CO	$96,100	$46.20	210	0.7
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	$95,690	$46.00	90	0.7
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$94,750	$45.55	70	0.2
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$94,520	$45.44	390	1.1
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$94,400	$45.38	190	0.2
Wilmington, NC	$93,750	$45.07	70	0.4
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	$93,700	$45.05	60	0.3
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$93,580	$44.99	630	0.8
Charlottesville, VA	$93,530	$44.97	40	0.3
Waterbury-Shelton, CT	$92,880	$44.65	50	0.3
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$92,390	$44.42	560	0.3
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$92,330	$44.39	710	0.2
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$92,240	$44.35	180	0.3
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$90,710	$43.61	80	0.1
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$90,500	$43.51	80	0.2
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	$90,230	$43.38	60	0.2
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$89,960	$43.25	790	0.2
Ann Arbor, MI	$89,840	$43.19	60	0.3
Jacksonville, FL	$89,440	$43.00	200	0.3
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$89,260	$42.91	Not published	Not published
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$89,210	$42.89	400	0.3
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	$89,140	$42.86	50	0.4
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$88,840	$42.71	130	0.4
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$88,610	$42.60	150	0.4
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$88,360	$42.48	650	0.5
Winston-Salem, NC	$87,940	$42.28	60	0.2
Warner Robins, GA	$87,810	$42.21	40	0.5
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$87,360	$42.00	660	0.2
Montgomery, AL	$87,270	$41.96	Not published	Not published
Peoria, IL	$87,090	$41.87	40	0.2
Albuquerque, NM	$86,790	$41.72	190	0.5
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$86,600	$41.64	470	0.3
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$86,520	$41.60	1,030	0.3
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$86,340	$41.51	670	0.3
Madison, WI	$86,180	$41.43	180	0.4
Ogden, UT	$85,780	$41.24	80	0.3
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$85,500	$41.10	140	0.1
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$85,050	$40.89	50	0.4
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$84,750	$40.74	560	0.2
Syracuse, NY	$84,520	$40.63	80	0.3
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$84,300	$40.53	70	0.3
Salem, OR	$84,000	$40.38	50	0.2
Reno, NV	$83,920	$40.35	Not published	Not published
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$83,480	$40.14	490	0.2
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$82,970	$39.89	240	0.2
Birmingham, AL	$82,870	$39.84	60	0.1
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$82,860	$39.84	160	0.1
Lansing-East Lansing, MI	$82,670	$39.74	30	0.2
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$82,610	$39.72	560	0.4
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$82,520	$39.67	250	0.2
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$82,370	$39.60	320	0.4
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$82,050	$39.45	290	0.3
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$81,540	$39.20	460	0.4
Anchorage, AK	$81,110	$39.00	60	0.3
St. Louis, MO-IL	$80,840	$38.86	200	0.1
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$80,640	$38.77	190	0.8
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$80,610	$38.76	40	0.1
Mobile, AL	$79,980	$38.45	30	0.2
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$79,550	$38.24	170	0.2
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$79,340	$38.14	350	0.5
Richmond, VA	$79,200	$38.08	180	0.3
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$79,140	$38.05	370	0.3
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$79,080	$38.02	100	0.2
Columbus, OH	$78,870	$37.92	240	0.2
Rochester, NY	$78,370	$37.68	70	0.1
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	$78,310	$37.65	40	0.2
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$78,300	$37.65	80	0.2
Portland-South Portland, ME	$78,160	$37.58	60	0.2
Columbia, SC	$77,640	$37.33	90	0.2
Eugene-Springfield, OR	$77,210	$37.12	30	0.2
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$77,170	$37.10	60	0.3
Wichita, KS	$76,820	$36.93	90	0.3
Kansas City, MO-KS	$76,590	$36.82	350	0.3
Logan, UT-ID	$76,540	$36.80	50	0.7
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$76,170	$36.62	40	0.1
Fresno, CA	$76,030	$36.55	60	0.1
Tallahassee, FL	$75,990	$36.53	40	0.2
Cleveland, OH	$75,810	$36.45	200	0.2
Billings, MT	$75,330	$36.22	60	0.7
Baton Rouge, LA	$75,310	$36.21	100	0.2
Boise City, ID	$75,210	$36.16	120	0.3
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$75,140	$36.13	890	0.3
Tucson, AZ	$75,070	$36.09	140	0.4
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	$74,890	$36.00	130	0.4
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	$74,360	$35.75	30	0.4
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$73,720	$35.44	30	0.2
Fargo, ND-MN	$72,990	$35.09	50	0.3
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	$71,580	$34.41	30	0.1
Oklahoma City, OK	$71,210	$34.24	270	0.4
Tulsa, OK	$70,910	$34.09	180	0.4
Akron, OH	$70,790	$34.03	60	0.2
Lafayette, LA	$70,140	$33.72	30	0.2
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$69,450	$33.39	200	0.5
Cedar Rapids, IA	$69,410	$33.37	80	0.6
Lexington-Fayette, KY	$68,900	$33.12	50	0.2
Asheville, NC	$68,180	$32.78	60	0.4
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$67,910	$32.65	180	0.4
Lincoln, NE	$66,610	$32.03	50	0.3
Toledo, OH	$65,310	$31.40	40	0.1
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$64,380	$30.95	190	0.5
Gainesville, FL	$63,730	$30.64	30	0.2
Elkhart-Goshen, IN	$63,570	$30.56	40	0.3
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$62,990	$30.28	100	0.2
El Paso, TX	$62,830	$30.21	Not published	Not published
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$61,860	$29.74	80	0.2
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR	$61,180	$29.41	Not published	Not published
Fort Wayne, IN	$60,480	$29.08	40	0.2
Dubuque, IA	$57,400	$27.60	70	1.2
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$46,950	$22.57	50	0.1
New Haven, CT	Not published	Not published	80	0.3
Omaha, NE-IA	Not published	Not published	120	0.3
Pittsburgh, PA	Not published	Not published	240	0.2
Santa Fe, NM	Not published	Not published	40	0.7

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.