OLMIS

Occupational Description

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

The following related career videos are available from America's Career InfoNet:
Technical Writers

Employment Outlook for Technical Writers

Statewide Employment Analysis	2006 employment is estimated to be at about the statewide average. This occupation is expected to grow at about the statewide average. Total job openings are projected to be at about the statewide average. Reasonable employment opportunities exist for trained workers.

Data Sources and Limitations

Current Job Openings for Technical Writers There are 3 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 3 are listed below.

Job Title	Date Posted	Location	Wage Offered
Technical Writer (Online Help, Xml, Html, Css)	11/11/09	Wilsonville	$35.00/hr
Technical Writer	11/6/09	Jefferson	$17.00/hr
Technical Writer Ii	8/28/09	Beaverton

State of Oregon License Information for Technical Writers No statewide license is required for this occupation.

Wages for Technical Writers

Region	---------------- 2009 Wages ----------------
	Percentiles (hourly wages)					Avg Hourly ($/hr)	Avg Annual
	10th	25th	50th (median)	75th	90th
Oregon Statewide	$18.44	$24.25	$32.63	$38.75	$44.33	$31.57	$65,683
Multnomah / Washington	20.45	27.74	35.03	40.08	46.58	33.77	70,222
Benton / Lincoln / Linn	18.09	20.51	26.91	29.97	31.80	25.51	53,053
Lane	16.57	17.60	19.31	28.90	36.88	22.99	47,826
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson	22.73	26.49	28.87	31.39	34.60	28.87	60,049
Clackamas	21.22	24.39	34.87	39.02	42.80	32.56	67,726

Data Sources and Limitations

Regional Employment Projections for Technical Writers

Region	Employment		Change	% Change	Projected Annual Openings
	2006	2016			Growth	Replacement	Total
Oregon Statewide	691	766	75	10.9%	8	21	29
Multnomah / Washington	487	543	56	11.5%	6	15	20
Lane	76	86	10	13.2%	1	2	3
Clackamas	64	74	10	15.6%	1	2	3
Benton / Lincoln / Linn	27	28	1	3.7%	0	1	1
Marion / Polk / Yamhill	20	21	1	5.0%	0	1	1
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson	17	23	6	35.3%	1	1	1
Jackson / Josephine	16	18	2	12.5%	0	1	1
Klamath / Lake	4	4	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Douglas	3	3	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Coos / Curry	1	1	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Morrow / Umatilla	1	3	2	200.0%	0	0	0
Baker / Union / Wallowa	1	1	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Grant / Harney / Malheur	1	1	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook	1	1	0	0.0%	0	0	0
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco	0	1	1	NA	0	0	0

Data Sources and Limitations

Industries of Employment for Technical Writers

Industry Click links to view infoUSA employers	Ownership	2006 Employment
Total, All Industries	All	691
Total, All Industries	Private	672
Manufacturing	Private	220
Machinery Manufacturing	Private	25
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing	Private	10
Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	Private	14
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	Private	165
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	Private	13
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	Private	98
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	Private	43
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	Private	17
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	Private	14
Wholesale Trade	Private	17
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	Private	14
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	Private	10
Information	Private	203
Publishing Industries (except Internet)	Private	167
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	Private	31
Software Publishers	Private	136
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	Private	11
Motion Picture and Video Industries	Private	11
Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals, and Data Processing Services	Private	16
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	Private	16
Finance and Insurance	Private	20
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	Private	13
Insurance Carriers	Private	13
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	Private	111
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	Private	32
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	Private	59
Management of Companies and Enterprises	Private	42
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	Private	32
Administrative and Support Services	Private	32
Office Administrative Services	Private	12
Employment Services	Private	17

Educational Requirements for Technical Writers Workers must have a bachelor's degree to gain the necessary skills for this occupation. However, those with a bachelor's degree and related work experience have a competitive advantage in this labor market.

Skills for Technical Writers

• Analyze Audience
• Apply Page Layout And Composition Techniques
• Convert Information Into Instructional Program
• Design Tables Depicting Data
• Evaluate Data From Engineering Projects
• Explain Complex Mathematical Information
• Interpret And Apply Copyright Laws
• Interpret Detailed Electronic Design Specifications
• Interpret Technical Information For Journalistic Work
• Make Presentations
• Meet Deadlines
• Organize And Sort Journalistic Or Literary Data
• Prepare Materials For Publication
• Proofread, Edit, And Revise Written Materials
• Read Schematics And Specifications
• Research Work-Related Topics Using Library Resources
• Test For Usability Of Document Or System
• Understand Publishing Formats And Technologies, Including The Internet
• Understand, Use, And Communicate Technical Information
• Use Correct Grammar, Punctuation And Spelling
• Use Desktop Publishing Software
• Use Interviewing Techniques
• Use On-Line Search Techniques
• Use Proofreading Symbols
• Work As A Team Member
• Write Administrative Procedures Manual
• Write And Compile Employee Training Materials
• Write Grant Proposals
• Write Technical Papers From Original Research
• Write Technical Specifications For Computer Systems, Software And Applications
• Write Technical Specifications For Electrical Or Electronic Equipment

Schools and Training Providers for Technical Writers The training providers listed below offer one or more of the following programs:

• Technical and Business Writing

Linn-Benton Community College 6500 Pacific Blvd SW Albany, OR 97321 Phone: (541) 917-4999 Programs of Training: Technical and Business Writing

Career Pathway Roadmaps for Technical Writers No Career Pathway links were found for this occupation.

Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Technical Writers matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.

Occupation	Skill Overlap
Writers And Authors	30%
Editors	30%