An overview of the job of a Technical Writer:

A technical writer is a professional who explains scientific language and the technical ideas into simple language which can be understood by an average reader. These professionals are also involved in writing articles and reports on the latest trends in the field of engineering and science. They are usually employed to write procedures and policies for banking and shipping organizations. Technical writers are also given the task of writing different kinds of instruction manuals, press releases and other promotional materials which helps the company to sell their products and services. The essential skill of a technical writer is to have a good command over English language and a considerate amount of technical or scientific knowledge.

Technical Writers may also work in insurance companies to explain the terms and conditions to insurance agents, adjusters and other workers of the industry. Majority of the technical writers work for magazines, books and newspaper publications and also write for pamphlets that are used for government publications. These pamphlets cover industries related to medicine, agriculture, education and aerospace. They may also work for colleges and universities while others may for advertising agencies.

Many a times, technical writers have to work with other professionals such as scientists, engineers, technicians etc in order to understand the details of the products and equipment. After analyzing these details, this professional must prepare a document based on the gathered information. Technical writers may also be called for to compose and edit industrial and corporate publications. The ever growing field for technical writers is in the fields of science and technology, electronics, chemistry etc. They have to constantly keep themselves updated by talking to experts, reading books and reading information over the internet. Proper research methodologies and documentation of information is required to write an article for a technical writer keeping up with the credibility of the writer. The advancement for technical writers comes with experience as they may become administrators or senior writers to supervisors. The salary for these professionals is considerate.

What is the salary of a technical writer?

• The salary of a technical writer is fairly lucrative considering his contribution to the organization. However, the salary of this professional depends upon a number of factors such as experience in the industry, area of employment, geographical location of employment etc.
• The average median salary of this a technical writer is estimated as $52,271 annually. The top ten percentile of the professionals earn income of $57,997 while the lowest ten percentile of technical writers are given an income ranging around $36,074 and $40,795 per annum. They are also given bonus for their extra work which ranges around $481.95 – $7,405 for a year.
• Technical writers with experience of less than one year in the profession are given a salary ranging around $27,243 – $54,388 annually. Professionals with experience of one to five years in the industry receive an income ranging around $32,135 – $62,365 for a year.
• Technical writers who are employed in the software development industry earn a salary ranging around $36,793 – $86,806 per annum while those who are employed in biotechnology manufacturing and distribution industries as technical writers earn a salary ranging around $34,451 – $78,153 per annum.
• Professionals who are employed in large companies receive an annual income of $35,658 – $82,666 while those writers who are self-employed make money ranging around $28,906 – $85,525 per year.
• Geographical location of employment also has a huge impact on the salary of a technical writer. It is observed that a technical writer who is employed in the state of Virginia gets paid a salary ranging around $35,674 – $80,304 per annum compared to those employed in the state of Texas who are paid a salary ranging around $34,848 – $76,737 per annum. The difference in salary between states is because of the variation in the economic rate.

What are the skills needed for a technical writer?

Apart from educational qualifications, there are a few obligatory skill set to become a technical writer which will help the professional to excel in the field by performing his duties and activities with efficiency. Following are the skills and abilities required to be a technical writer:

Skill Set:

• Knowledge of Technology: It is important for a technical writer to some knowledge about technology which will help him to develop documentation for products and software’s. They need to have enthusiasm or determination to work with technology and understanding of the latest technology which will bring them a great sense of achievement and rewards at the end of the day.
• Ability to write accurately and clearly: The core skill of a technical writer is the ability to write clearly by explaining the most complicated procedure in a most understandable manner by the end users. By avoiding passive and long sentences.
• Ability to interpret graphical illustrations: A technical writer must have the ability to analyze and interpret graphs which may be pictures or any other graphic designing tools. He must also make use of pictures and graphs in his writing as it makes the reader’s understanding easier.
• Problem Solving Skill: These professionals must use their critical and logical thinking to resolve any problems. This also helps the technical writer to understand complex documents and projects with a cool mind.
• Ability to communicate with others: This professional is responsible for constantly communicating and keeping in touch with the other professionals in order to acquire all the information required for preparing a product report.

What is the certification and licensure required for a technical writer?

• Technical Writers do not require any kind of certification and licensure to start their career. However, these professionals can be a part of associations which will help to boost their careers.
• They can enroll themselves with the Society for Technical Communication (STC) or various other online courses that give certifications in technical writing. These certifications stand as a proof or proficiency for the professionals in technical communications, documenting design and layout and various other writing procedures.
• The STC works with the Association for Business Communication (ABC) to sponsor a number of programs which stands as interest to both the business as well as the technical writers.

Educational Requirement of a technical writer

The position of a technical writer requires minimum amount of educational qualifications which will help the candidate to carry out the duties and responsibilities given to him as part of his job role in the organization. Following are the educational requirements to become a technical writer:

• The profession of technical writing is recognized in the software industry and also fields such as commerce, medicine, law and research. The common element with all these industries is that a technical writer must understand the product thoroughly and must have the ability to put the information in simple terminology that is understandable by the user.
• College education is necessary to enter the field of technical writing. Candidates are required to complete their bachelor’s degree in the field of journalism or scientific engineering or English. Candidates with a scientific area degree are often chosen.
• Individuals who are interested in the field of technical writing must take up courses related to this field in their high school education which may be English, science, math or work with the educational institute’s newspaper which stands as a platform for acquiring experience.
• However, it forms essential to take a degree in both technical field and liberal arts which is a combination of journalism and English composition. Many colleges and universities offer courses in technical writing which are worthwhile to enter into this field.
• Additional, candidates may also attend formal training sessions or internship programs at college level with experienced technical writers wherein the new-bee tend to learn the practical environment of the profession and these programs stand as platforms for new professionals who enter into this field to enhance their theoretical skills.
• Many of the technical writers start out their career as research assistants or trainees in the technical department and then climb the ladder to writer duties.

What does a technical writer do?

The job duties and responsibilities for this professional vary from one industry to the other depending on the nature of operations of that industry. Given below are some of the primary duties and responsibilities of a technical writer:

Duties:

• The primary duty of a technical writer is to organize material and finish the given assignments as per the set standards with a proper style, terminology, clarity and order.
• It forms the duty of a technical writer to coordinate with customer representatives and other executives to establish technical specifications of the subject matter that needs to be developed for publication.
• They are involved in developing product documentation by giving a complete picture of the software in technical terms.
• It is the duty of the technical writer to analyze the developments in the fields of previously written and published materials which will help the development of new materials.
• An important duty of this professional is to review the published material and suggest recommendations in terms of content, format and methods of binding and reproduction to make sure the report is error free without any spelling mistakes.

Responsibilities:

• It forms the responsibility of a technical writer to select photographs, sketches, charts, diagrams and other illustrative material for the written content.
• These professionals are responsible for interviewing the engineering and production staff and to read journals in order to become familiar with the production methods and technologies.
• Technical writers are responsible for reviewing catalogs of the manufacturers and traders to improvise on the drawings and other relative data on the service of the equipment.
• They are responsible for observing the production and developmental activities which will help them to determine the procedures and details of the experimental activities.
• Technical writers are responsible for arranging the material for publication by typing, distributing and duplication the material for later usage.