DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
27-3042 Technical Writers
Occupational Description:
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.| Percentiles | |||||||||
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| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA | 1,080 | 87 | $34.10/hr | $0.78/hr | $21.94/hr | $26.50/hr | $33.28/hr | $40.07/hr | $48.69/hr |
| Minnesota | 1,250 | 90 | $33.56/hr | $0.67/hr | $21.50/hr | $26.08/hr | $32.58/hr | $39.49/hr | $48.32/hr |
| U S | 50,760 | 863 | $37.33/hr | $0.22/hr | $21.53/hr | $27.48/hr | $35.39/hr | $45.46/hr | $56.95/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change - | |
| Writers and Authors | 720 | $31.38/hr | N/A |
| Editors | N/A | $28.02/hr | N/A |
Tasks for Technical Writers
- Organizes material and completes writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
- Edits, standardizes, or makes changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.
- Observes production, developmental, and experimental activities to determine operating procedure and detail.
- Maintains records and files of work and revisions.
- Selects photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.
- Confers with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication.
- Arranges for typing, duplication, and distribution of material.
- Draws sketches to illustrate specified materials or assembly sequence.
- Analyzes developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material.
- Reviews manufacturer's and trade catalogs, drawings and other data relative to operation, maintenance, and service of equipment.
- Reviews published materials and recommends revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding.
- Assists in laying out material for publication.
- Interviews production and engineering personnel and reads journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods.
- Studies drawings, specifications, mock ups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production sequence and detail.
