Technical Writers, Editors, Curriculum Developers Rated Top Jobs Again in 2006

Again this year, CNN Money has rated technical writing as one of the Best Jobs in America (13 out of 50). According to the survey, US Technical Writers earn an average of $57,841, with 75% of all tech writers earning more than $48,856, or total compensation of $49,718 when bonuses and benefits are added to the mix.

Job growth in the US for technical communicators is expected to continue rising. In 2004 there were an estimated 50,354 technical writing positions in the US. The forecast for 2014: 62,044.

It’s no wonder that knowledge workers in developing nations like India and China are working hard to get a piece of the technical writing pie. In order to avoid being replaced by so-called commodity writers, US technical writers will need to differentiate themselves by developing new skills with big demand like XML authoring, writing for reuse, and content management.

The CNN Money ranking also included Editor (ranked 13th with average earnings of $78,242) and Curriculum Developer (ranked 18th with average earnings of $55,793). Software Engineer topped the chart with average earnings of $80,427.