What are the fastest-growing industries for technical writers? Which ones are posting the sharpest declines? Where are salaries increasing the most? How much should you expect to make if you apply for a job in another city? The answer to these and other questions asked by job seekers and project planners can be found in STC's 2009–2010 Salary Database report (using 2009 data), available for purchase online at www.stc.org/pubs/salary-database.asp.
With more than 130 pages of detailed regional- and industry-specific statistics on the number of jobs and salaries for technical writers, the report covers municipalities and nonmetropolitan areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition, users can find employment and wage data for industries in the energy, manufacturing, retail, and wholesale trades; professional and financial services; and healthcare, education, entertainment, and government sectors. For each level of geographic and industry detail, the report provides the number of technical writers and annual and hourly wages by five salary levels, from the lowest (10th percentile) to the highest (90th percentile), and the change from previous years.
STC's Salary Database is a tool that can be used to conduct more powerful job searches, make a strong case for a raise, or prepare department payroll budgets. The data in the Salary Database are drawn from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).
Starting in 2010, the Salary Database is an à la carte item, available for purchase by members and nonmembers. Excel files with the original data are also available for those who wish to be able to format the data in other ways.
Two Ways to Purchase
STC members and customers may choose to purchase the 2009–2010 Salary Database as a single Complete Report in PDF format, as a series of Excel Workbooks, or both.
The Complete Report is a single PDF containing data tables for all three datasets in a book format. In addition to detailed data tables, the Complete Report also provides a year-in-review analysis of the labor markets for technical writers by STC Consulting Economist, Richard O'Sullivan, and a series of national maps displaying the regional changes in technical writer employment and wages from the previous year. The Complete Report is available for $10 to members and $49 to nonmembers.
Alternately, members and customers may purchase the STC Salary Database as Excel Workbooks. These workbooks are very helpful for those who would like to undertake their own cross-regional analyses or industry comparisons without the bother of having to convert the tables from an Acrobat file. Data users are able to download one, two, or all three of the workbooks and immediately start their own customized work (see sidebar for details on the workbooks available). The Excel Workbooks can be purchased separately by members for $10 each and by nonmembers for $49 each.
Purchase the package and save!
Order the Complete Report in PDF format and all three Excel Workbooks together and save! Members pay only $30 for all four products, while nonmembers can purchase the Complete Report and the set of three Excel Workbooks for just $149.
The Geographic Series contains employment and wage data for the most recent three years for:
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All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
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All 11 Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs)
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All Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
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The nonmetropolitan areas in which technical writers worked that year
The Industry Series provides industry employment and wage data for technical writers for all industries that employed technical writers during the most recent three years. The data are available at three levels of detail:
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Major Industry Groups (2-digit North American Industrial Classification System [NAICS] codes); e.g., Healthcare and Social Assistance Services
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Industry Groups (3-digit NAICS codes); e.g., hospitals
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Industry Subsectors (4-digit NAICS codes); e.g., general medical and surgical hospitals
The Profession Series provides employment and wage data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for technical writers and four competing professions for 2007 through 2009. This includes tables and graphs comparing technical writers' employment and wages with those of four other writing professions: editors, reporters and correspondents, writers and authors, and public relations specialists. These were chosen because STC members have reported competing with people in those professions for technical writing positions and assignments.
