Headline risk
43%
High RiskTechnical writers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 40% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 91,670
Employment 2024
56.4K
Projected Change (2024–34)
0.9%
Openings (2024–34)
4.5K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of technical writers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology. AI use: 87%
- 2. Maintain records and files of work and revisions. AI use: 0%
- 3. Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel. AI use: 83%
- 4. Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material. AI use: 96%
- 5. Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods. AI use: 0%
- 6. Assist in laying out material for publication. AI use: 90%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 47.4 · 54K employed
Under 25: 0% · 25–54: 57% · 55+: 43%
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Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily.
Most technical writers work full time. Although technical writers work in a variety of industries, they are concentrated in the computer and management, scientific, and technical industries.
Technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. In addition, knowledge of or experience with a technical subject, such as science or engineering, is beneficial.
The median annual wage for technical writers was $91,670 in May 2024.
Employment of technical writers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.