There are several grades of STC membership.
Individual membership is open to all those interested in technical communication.
The grade of senior member is conferred automatically on each member after five years of Society membership.
To be eligible for student membership, an applicant must be:
In addition to membership grades, STC bestows three elective, honorary ranks: Associate Fellow, Fellow, and Honorary Fellow.
The rank of associate fellow is conferred only upon a senior member who has attained distinction in the field of technical communication. Senior members may not apply for the rank of associate fellow; they must be nominated by a committee composed of fellows and associate fellows.
The rank of fellow is conferred only upon associate fellows who have attained such eminence in the field of technical communication that the board, by a two-thirds vote of all members, deems them worthy of being singled out as one of the select few who have distinguished the Society and the profession. Associate fellows may not apply for the rank of fellow; they must be nominated by a committee of fellows.
The rank of honorary fellow is conferred upon a person who is not a member of the Society but who has achieved eminence in the field of technical communication. This rank is conferred by a two-thirds vote of the entire board. An honorary fellowship is a life membership.