The value of STC membership is access to best-in-class technical communication education, award-winning publications, certification, career development, professional networking opportunities, and other exclusive member benefits. STC's mission is to advance the theory and practice of technical communication, and advance members' professional development. This mission benefits consumers worldwide.
STC has a membership category for everyone: students, new professionals, mid- and late-career professionals, corporate teams, and those who have retired from the field but want to still stay connected. Click here for a full list of benefits per category.
Gold membership includes access to all Professional & Academic benefits, plus 8 printed issues of Intercom magazine, free registration for five live webinars, 20% additional discount on all online courses, free access to the Salary Database, extended Early Bird registration rate for the Technical Communication Summit & Expo, and one chapter and all selected Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of your choice. Dues – $395 USD
STC’s Professional & Academic membership category is for the more seasoned professional with four or more years of experience. Those who choose Professional & Academic membership have access to the online versions of Intercom, Technical Communication, STC’s Salary Survey, and other ePublications. They can also take advantage of member-only discounts on all STC educational webinars, online courses, STC’s certification exam, annual conference registration, and corporate partner products and services. The Professional & Academic membership also includes a personalized Education Report Card, and Job Bank and Mentor Board access. Networking communities can be added for a fee. Dues – $225 USD
New Professional members receive all Professional & Academic benefits at a discounted rate. To qualify for the New Professional Member rate, individuals must have graduated from a college/university within the past three years and/or are new to the tech comm field. Dues – $180 USD
Student members receive all Professional & Academic member benefits, plus one professional chapter, one student chapter, one Academic and one additional Special Interest Group (SIG) membership for free. To be eligible for student membership, an applicant must be enrolled in an accredited university, college, community college, or technical school; taking at least two courses or the equivalent each term; and preparing for a career in technical communication. Additional communities can be added for a fee. Dues – $75 USD
New membership category! Become a Sustaining Member of STC! Sustaining Membership is a long-term membership choice for those who wish to pledge their support to the field of technical communication by making a 15-year membership commitment.
Retired memberships include all Professional & Academic (formally known as Classic) member benefits, one free Chapter membership, and one free Special Interest Group (SIG) membership. All STC memberships expire on 31 December.
To qualify as a retired member, you must be a member with STC for 10 consecutive years, be 65 years of age or older, and work, on average, 20 hours per week or less. Members cannot change to Retired memberships online and must submit a membership application. For more information about our retiree membership, contact us at membership@stc.org.
Download a PDF membership application here.
Does your organization have five or more technical communicators on staff who are interested in joining STC? If so, look into our Corporate Value Program (CVP) membership to save on dues for your entire team. Click here for details. For information about Retired or Emerging Nations memberships, please click on the tabs below.
Additional Information:
All STC memberships are individual memberships. STC is a U.S.-based company and all rates and fees listed are in U.S. dollars (USD). Individuals joining STC for the first time (or former members whose membership has lapsed more than one year) pay Society dues, a $15.00 enrollment fee, and chapter and SIG fees (if applicable). Because the full range of STC products and services is available online to members immediately upon activation, STC dues are nonrefundable and nontransferable. All STC memberships operate on a calendar year cycle and expire on 31 December.
Questions? Contact STC membership at +1 (703) 522-4114 or email membership@stc.org. You can also visit our Membership FAQs page for assistance.
Membership FAQs:
All memberships follow the calendar year and expire 31 December.
STC dues are nonrefundable at any time.
There is a $15 enrollment fee for new memberships or memberships that have lapsed more than one year.
Memberships with eligibility requirements:
- Student membership. To be eligible for student membership, an applicant must be enrolled in an accredited university, college, community college, or technical school; taking at least two courses or their equivalent each term; and preparing for a career in technical communication.
- New Professional membership. It’s a step between Student Membership and Professional & Academic Membership to help recent graduates continue their STC membership at an important time in their careers. You must have graduated from a technical communication program within the last three years.
Members may add the following a la carte menu items:
- $25 per chapter (emerging nations: $10)
- $10 per SIG (emerging nations: $5)
- $60 for printed copies of Intercom*
- $75 for printed copies of Technical Communication*
* Includes U.S. postage. International postage rate for Intercom is $25 for Canada and $45 for other countries. For Technical Communication, international postage rate is $20 for Canada and $40 for other countries.
Download a PDF membership application here.
Download a PDF Student membership brochure and application here.
Download a PDF of the 2018 Membership Brochure here.
View full dues schedule here.
Countries and Territories with Adjusted Dues
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Democratic Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Republic of Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Corporate Value Program Members
“STC membership has been a very important part of my professional development and directly influenced my career advancement. It's an automatic and easy investment for me. I encourage folks to take advantage of the many STC resources, educational offerings, and opportunities to meet and know other professionals out there…Why not join today?”
Todd Deluca
STC member since 1999I have been an STC member for the last 9 years and it has been a fruitful professional association. It offers you the opportunity to learn and grow as researchers and presenters and to gain visibility in their discipline. STC helps in my profession to a great extent, and I made some great friends along the way. 🙂
Rajdeep Gupta
STC Member“Becoming a member of STC is great way to stay connected in the technical communication field! I have been a member since 2006 and during that time I have met many wonderful people who have become a great support network for me. I have also attended several webinars and courses to improve my technical communication skills. As a bonus, all members receive a monthly publication with articles that keep you informed about the current trends.”
Barbara DeStefano
STC Member since 2006
“STC has been my professional partner throughout my technical communication career, helping me stay current in our field as well as providing skill-building volunteer opportunities and a network of colleagues who have become treasured friends and mentors.”
Lori Meyer
STC member since 2000For 10+ years Publishing Smarter has helped businesses generate revenue through better communications. Businesses in aerospace, banking, and construction (literally the ABCs), as well as government, hardware, insurance, medical, software, and many others. Our business growth and success is because of STC.
Bernard A.
STC Member since 2006Have a membership question?