The average salary for a technical writer in California is around $95,030 per year.
Avg Salary
Technical writers earn an average yearly salary of $95,030.
Wages typically start from $59,990 and go up to $158,820.
30% above national average Updated in 2021
Technical writer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level technical writer earnings begin at:
$76.36 per hour
$158,820 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level technical writer earnings begin at:
$60.04 per hour
$124,890 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level technical writer earnings begin at:
$45.69 per hour
$95,030 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level technical writer earnings begin at:
$31.79 per hour
$66,130 per year
10th percentile
Starting level technical writer earnings begin at:
$28.84 per hour
$59,990 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Technical writer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98,990 |
| California | $95,030 |
| Massachusetts | $93,590 |
| New Jersey | $82,470 |
| Vermont | $82,020 |
| Maryland | $81,220 |
| Colorado | $80,600 |
| Connecticut | $80,600 |
| New York | $80,570 |
| Washington | $80,150 |
| Rhode Island | $79,950 |
| Minnesota | $78,600 |
| Virginia | $78,160 |
| New Hampshire | $77,740 |
| Missouri | $77,490 |
| Nevada | $77,490 |
| Arizona | $77,450 |
| North Carolina | $77,450 |
| North Dakota | $77,450 |
| Texas | $77,100 |
| South Carolina | $77,030 |
| Oregon | $77,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,000 |
| Georgia | $72,240 |
| Alabama | $71,110 |
| Florida | $66,490 |
| New Mexico | $65,820 |
| Wyoming | $65,700 |
| Wisconsin | $64,490 |
| Illinois | $64,440 |
| Louisiana | $64,420 |
| Michigan | $64,220 |
| Indiana | $63,300 |
| Ohio | $63,300 |
| Utah | $63,300 |
| Alaska | $63,240 |
| Oklahoma | $63,020 |
| Iowa | $62,990 |
| Kentucky | $62,990 |
| Montana | $62,080 |
| Kansas | $61,890 |
| Tennessee | $61,890 |
| Mississippi | $61,630 |
| Maine | $61,490 |
| Idaho | $60,550 |
| West Virginia | $53,880 |
| Nebraska | $51,660 |
| South Dakota | $49,410 |
| Arkansas | $40,190 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,230 |
| Delaware | $102,670 |
| Hawaii | $102,610 |
How do technical writer salaries compare to similar careers?
Technical writers earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than copywriters but more than consultants.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Copywriter salary | $128K |
| Writer salary | $128K |
| Television writer salary | $128K |
| Intelligence analyst salary | $104K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $99K |
| Technical writer salary | $95K |
| Multimedia animator salary | $99K |
| Operations research analyst salary | $85K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $97K |
| Consultant salary | $89K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)