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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

27-3042 Technical Writers

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
50,760 1.7 % $36.95 $76,860 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $21.31 $27.20 $35.03 $44.99 $56.37
Annual Wage (2) $44,320 $56,570 $72,850 $93,590 $117,250


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 8,770 0.40 $38.01 $79,060
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,110 0.28 $36.05 $74,980
Employment Services 3,930 0.11 $38.42 $79,920
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 3,350 0.22 $35.75 $74,360
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,650 0.37 $40.86 $84,980

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 570 1.07 $33.93 $70,560
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 980 0.62 $52.68 $109,580
Software Publishers 2,090 0.48 $41.30 $85,900
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 8,770 0.40 $38.01 $79,060
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 280 0.38 $35.01 $72,810

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 980 0.62 $52.68 $109,580
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 240 0.06 $45.35 $94,320
Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance 80 0.07 $44.33 $92,200
Radio and Television Broadcasting 40 0.02 $42.25 $87,880
Legal Services 120 0.01 $41.97 $87,300


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,650 0.38 1.11 $45.11 $93,830
Texas 4,700 0.38 1.09 $34.46 $71,680
Florida 2,760 0.31 0.91 $30.03 $62,470
Virginia 2,720 0.70 2.03 $41.09 $85,470
Maryland 2,270 0.84 2.43 $40.32 $83,860




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland 2,270 0.84 2.43 $40.32 $83,860
Virginia 2,720 0.70 2.03 $41.09 $85,470
District of Columbia 490 0.68 1.96 $45.15 $93,910
New Mexico 530 0.64 1.87 $34.06 $70,840
Massachusetts 2,260 0.62 1.80 $44.40 $92,350




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 490 0.68 1.96 $45.15 $93,910
California 6,650 0.38 1.11 $45.11 $93,830
Massachusetts 2,260 0.62 1.80 $44.40 $92,350
Washington 1,340 0.40 1.17 $41.58 $86,490
Virginia 2,720 0.70 2.03 $41.09 $85,470





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,540 1.11 3.23 $42.60 $88,600
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 2,910 0.30 0.87 $40.03 $83,260
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,120 0.76 2.19 $45.12 $93,860
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,870 0.30 0.87 $40.42 $84,070
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,830 0.50 1.45 $37.67 $78,350
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,710 1.50 4.34 $54.11 $112,550
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,320 0.46 1.33 $38.12 $79,280
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,230 0.40 1.17 $32.14 $66,840
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,220 0.49 1.43 $49.28 $102,500
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,150 0.42 1.21 $36.57 $76,060




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California-Lexington Park, MD 120 2.59 7.50 $39.24 $81,610
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,710 1.50 4.34 $54.11 $112,550
Idaho Falls, ID 90 1.38 3.99 $35.83 $74,530
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 180 1.37 3.96 $37.06 $77,090
Huntsville, AL 310 1.33 3.85 $34.08 $70,890
Logan, UT-ID 70 1.26 3.66 $28.52 $59,310
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,540 1.11 3.23 $42.60 $88,600
Raleigh, NC 670 1.04 3.00 $39.25 $81,640
Colorado Springs, CO 290 0.99 2.88 $34.30 $71,340
Trenton, NJ 230 0.96 2.77 $43.50 $90,470




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,710 1.50 4.34 $54.11 $112,550
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,220 0.49 1.43 $49.28 $102,500
Boulder, CO 170 0.92 2.66 $48.32 $100,500
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 150 0.47 1.37 $46.33 $96,370
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,120 0.76 2.19 $45.12 $93,860
Kennewick-Richland, WA 100 0.85 2.47 $44.33 $92,200
Trenton, NJ 230 0.96 2.77 $43.50 $90,470
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,540 1.11 3.23 $42.60 $88,600
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 990 0.49 1.42 $42.33 $88,040
Santa Fe, NM 50 0.72 2.10 $42.05 $87,470

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 120 0.30 0.86 $27.35 $56,890
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.33 0.96 $28.87 $60,040
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 50 0.23 0.67 $29.37 $61,080
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 50 0.59 1.72 (8) (8)
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.24 0.68 $24.33 $50,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 30 0.68 1.97 $35.05 $72,910
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 50 0.59 1.72 (8) (8)
West Montana nonmetropolitan area 30 0.42 1.21 (8) (8)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.41 1.18 $37.94 $78,920
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 1.09 $35.01 $72,820

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.41 1.18 $37.94 $78,920
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 30 0.68 1.97 $35.05 $72,910
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 1.09 $35.01 $72,820
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 30 0.17 0.50 $30.56 $63,560
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 0.66 $30.34 $63,110


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020