Technical Writers
Also called: Engineering Writer, Grant Writer, Narrative Writer, Requirements AnalystWrite technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 14 of its 15 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 0.8% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 53% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $85,840 | $74,210 to $104,860 | 630 |
| Alaska | $83,200 | $61,920 to $93,500 | 130 |
| Arizona | $79,780 | $67,600 to $100,270 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $61,180 | $51,660 to $74,590 | 150 |
| California | $104,000 | $84,250 to $141,280 | 5,280 |
| Colorado | $100,610 | $82,060 to $123,490 | 1,320 |
| Connecticut | $101,870 | $83,220 to $116,660 | 770 |
| Delaware | $90,370 | $62,830 to $109,790 | 80 |
| District of Columbia | $117,810 | $84,990 to $128,610 | 440 |
| Florida | $86,240 | $74,570 to $103,810 | 2,550 |
| Georgia | $73,070 | $59,760 to $97,390 | 1,680 |
| Hawaii | not published | not published | 30 |
| Idaho | not published | not published | 430 |
| Illinois | $88,700 | $73,140 to $106,650 | 1,040 |
| Indiana | $75,510 | $63,540 to $89,500 | 540 |
| Iowa | $66,520 | $57,660 to $83,760 | 640 |
| Kansas | $73,550 | $61,310 to $84,510 | 480 |
| Kentucky | $81,070 | $60,020 to $99,240 | 340 |
| Louisiana | $63,790 | $58,020 to $76,670 | 320 |
| Maine | not published | not published | 310 |
| Maryland | $100,990 | $79,730 to $125,440 | 1,780 |
| Massachusetts | $109,200 | $86,060 to $134,620 | 1,850 |
| Michigan | $85,270 | $66,810 to $107,520 | 970 |
| Minnesota | $83,270 | $66,000 to $102,180 | 910 |
| Mississippi | $65,220 | $60,810 to $80,150 | 70 |
| Missouri | $80,840 | $62,440 to $101,770 | 500 |
| Montana | $75,070 | $73,340 to $75,330 | 160 |
| Nebraska | not published | not published | 190 |
| Nevada | $88,750 | $70,910 to $104,260 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $96,300 | $72,810 to $109,430 | 230 |
| New Jersey | $122,320 | $83,150 to $135,010 | 1,550 |
| New Mexico | $94,970 | $63,440 to $125,980 | 420 |
| New York | $98,310 | $73,440 to $121,500 | 1,610 |
| North Carolina | $86,320 | $70,390 to $103,590 | 2,860 |
| North Dakota | $72,990 | $54,790 to $110,090 | 70 |
| Ohio | $76,480 | $61,350 to $99,570 | 1,350 |
| Oklahoma | $69,760 | $57,200 to $83,990 | 600 |
| Oregon | $84,000 | $69,880 to $122,100 | 590 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,620 | $71,980 to $105,300 | 1,330 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,950 | $32,200 to $65,970 | 60 |
| Rhode Island | $102,360 | $81,780 to $105,640 | 150 |
| South Carolina | $82,540 | $66,700 to $103,550 | 700 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 | $53,730 to $75,500 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $79,550 | $63,540 to $102,430 | 480 |
| Texas | $82,750 | $63,720 to $105,630 | 3,340 |
| Utah | $80,270 | $64,910 to $102,590 | 570 |
| Vermont | $87,860 | $65,000 to $101,370 | 60 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $75,510 to $113,510 | 2,280 |
| Washington | $104,070 | $78,680 to $131,940 | 1,620 |
| West Virginia | not published | not published | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $80,030 | $62,380 to $99,960 | 910 |
| Wyoming | not published | not published | 30 |
Nationally: $90,390. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 14 of its 15 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology. | 0.54% |
| AI + software | Maintain records and files of work and revisions. | 0.03% |
| AI alone | Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel. | 1.06% |
| AI alone | Review published materials and recommend revisions or changes in scope, format, content, and methods of reproduction and binding. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Analyze developments in specific field to determine need for revisions in previously published materials and development of new material. | Not published |
| AI + software | Assist in laying out material for publication. | 0.01% |
See all 15 tasks
| AI + software | Confer with customer representatives, vendors, plant executives, or publisher to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication. | Not published |
| AI alone | Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Arrange for typing, duplication, and distribution of material. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production sequence and detail. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop or maintain online help documentation. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe production, developmental, and experimental activities to determine operating procedure and detail. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review manufacturer's and trade catalogs, drawings and other data relative to operation, maintenance, and service of equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Draw sketches to illustrate specified materials or assembly sequence. | under 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 9 of the 15 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 15 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #6 Develop news, entertainment, or artistic content
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #9 Edit written materials or documents
- and 5 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit written materials or documents | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Develop news, entertainment, or artistic content | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Monitor external affairs, trends, or events | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data |
Show all 13 activities
| Plan work activities | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report42%
- An email or message10%
- An academic paper or thesis8%
- A resume or job application8%
- An analysis or summary6%
How they worked with Claude
55% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for technical writers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 53,030 moves out
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Editors Very high -1.1% 7%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 6%
- 5 Writers and Authors Very high -0.3% 5%
Where people moved in from
of 76,142 moves in
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Editors Very high -1.1% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Writers and Authors Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 7% postsecondary certificate
- 16% some college
- 35% associate's
- 33% bachelor's
- 2% post-bachelor's certificate
- 5% master's
- 1% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 24 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 5% high school
- 10% some college
- 3% associate's
- 49% bachelor's
- 21% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 9% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 637 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
7 programs, such as Technical and Scientific Communication, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication and Writing, General.
See all
- Technical and Scientific Communication
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication
- Writing, General
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
- Business/Corporate Communications, General
- Grantsmanship
- Business/Corporate Communications, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
16.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Technical Content Professional; Technical Writer (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Technical Writers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
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