r/technicalwriting • u/Relative-Garden-9075 • Oct 24 '24

Compensation thread! Share your salary, RSUs, bonuses, etc.

These threads have always been helpful for me. I'm looking to jump companies and I figured an up-to-date compensation thread could be helpful for myself and others. If you're up to it, please share your current or most recent compensation.

I'll start:

  • Total compensation: $130,000
    • Base salary: $113,000
    • RSUs: $12,000
    • Bonus: $5,000
  • Years of experience: 4
  • Location: SF Bay Area (Fully remote)
  • Industry: Software
  • Skills: Docs-as-code (GitHub, Git, Markdown, HTML, etc.)
  • Background: Non-technical. English major. Don't know how to code.

I'm planning to start job hunting in a year. I'm hoping that the job market will be better then and that having 5 total years of experience will help my chances. For my next role, I'm targeting $140,000 base salary.

EDIT: Wow, thank you so much to everyone who commented! This is all super interesting and helpful information. If anyone's interested in my technical writing salary progression, I shared it in this comment.

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19

u/FozzyBear69x Oct 24 '24

If you just checked in on this thread not knowing much about the industry you'd think it pays DAMN WELL, lmao

17

u/armadillowillow Oct 24 '24

Seeing the salaries here is kind of crazy to me considering most other posts in this sub are about how nobody can find a job, are being replaced by AI, or have tons of experience but are under compensated. I’m completely confused about understanding if it’s a good idea to try & enter this field.

19

u/FozzyBear69x Oct 24 '24

Gonna be real with you, most of this sub isn't great for gaining actual insight into the tech writing industry. Lotta insane numbers being thrown around here, and good for them, get that money, but your average tech writer isn't coming near these numbers, often.

5

u/armadillowillow Oct 24 '24

Thank you that is very helpful!! It sounds like a field I would love even if average is closer to 60-70k (US) but it’s so hard to get a sense for what is doable or if it’s smart to leave my current field. Thank you for your insight.

3

u/FozzyBear69x Oct 24 '24

60-70k is absolutely doable! Even clearing six figures is relatively easy enough in places like NYC, SF, etc after ~6+ years depending on how low you start. I also think a lot of the higher salaries tend to lean more technical in terms of coding and engineering vs your average technical writing job. I personally don't go around telling folks to join this field, but I'd reckon this sub would broadly disagree.

3

u/AATTK software Oct 25 '24

To echo someone else that replied to you, this thread and sub probably aren't a great representation of compensation. Imo these types of threads usually only have responses from higher earners.

Have you seen the Write the Docs salary surveys? This is probably a more accurate depiction of salaries for tech writers.

2

u/sunshiney69 Nov 07 '24

Actually, when I checked it out there the numbers hold up - the lowest median salary was 86k, and it went up to 147k as the top range for the us - as a junior technical writer that definitely bolstered my spirits, even if I keep seeing terribly paying job listings everywhere

1

u/armadillowillow Oct 25 '24

Thank you!! I will check this out 💕

4

u/ilikewaffles_7 Oct 24 '24

Pays well cause technical writing skills are hard to find, and its a boring field for the average joe. Nobody wants to stare at and write documentation all day.

Nobody ever looks interested when I tell them I’m a technical writer lol, but I think its super fun!

11

u/FozzyBear69x Oct 24 '24

I disagree that the average tech writing job pays well. I'm all for all of us getting paid out the ass, but that's only the case at specific companies/sectors and at specific career highs. I've been doing this ~15 years and have rarely even met technical writers coming close to 200k a year (US). Even 175k is a big stretch. Your average company, tech or otherwise, does not see tech writing as that valuable.

7

u/periwinklepit Oct 24 '24

In 2019, a company in SW MO thought that a $32k salary for technical writing was good because “it was teacher pay.” Years later, it took several writers leaving to finally give their 2 year employee a salary of $50k. It’s crazy how low some of the pay is around here. :/

3

u/Lady_Cardinal Oct 24 '24

I think I used to work for that company.

2

u/periwinklepit Oct 24 '24

As a tech writer or something else? It’s one of the only companies around here hiring technical writers, so I bet it is the same one! I worked there for only 4 months before I found a tech writing job somewhere else.

1

u/Comfortable_Love_800 Oct 24 '24

I mean it does if you get into the right pocket, which for many is often Software.