Occupation Profile

Industries Employing

Technical Writers

(SOC Code : 27-3042)

in California

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Bachelor's degree .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2023	1st Qtr	$60.39	$39.20	$50.22	$65.81

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Total Job Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2018 - 2028	7,700	8,700	1,000	13.0	9,020

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Computer Systems Design and Relate

10,474

13.9%

Architectural, Engineering, and Re

18,707

12.1%

Management, Scientific, and Tech

34,677

8.5%

Scientific Research and Developm

12,892

7.4%

Employment Services

5,110

7.0%

Navigational, Measuring, Electro

1,508

3.8%

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component

1,654

2.6%

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manu

676

2.6%

Data Processing and Related Services

3,146

2.5%

Communications Equipment Manufacturing

507

2.3%

Aerospace Product and Parts Manu

604

1.8%

Management of Companies and Enterpri

5,354

1.3%

Medical Equipment and Supplies M

2,553

1.3%

Independent Artists, Writers, an

3,140

1.2%

Professional and Commercial Equi

4,891

1.0%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Business/Corporate Communications

Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing.

Technical and Scientific Communication

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.

Maintain records and files of work and revisions.

Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.

Select photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and charts to illustrate material.

Interview production and engineering personnel and read journals and other material to become familiar with product technologies and production methods.

Develop or maintain online help documentation.

Assist in laying out material for publication.

Study drawings, specifications, mockups, and product samples to integrate and delineate technology, operating procedure, and production sequence and detail.

Arrange for typing, duplication, and distribution of material.

Observe production, developmental, and experimental activities to determine operating procedure and detail.

More Tasks for Technical Writers

Top Skills used in this Job

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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Alternate Titles

Assembly Instructions Writers; Documentation Writers; Handbook Writers; Manual Writers; Scientific Writers; Specifications Writers; Technical Communicators