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Employment Outlook

Technical Writer

Technical Writers produce documentation, diagrams and instruction guides for users of products such as computer software and hardware, whitegoods, or other machinery, or document and explain internal business procedures, with the goal of simplifying the complex systems.

 

Average wage for

Employment Levels

Around 24,400 people are currently employed as Technical Writers in Australia. This is set to increase slightly to 26,900 people by 2019, according to the Department of Employment.

Employment by State

45.4% of all Technical Writers are employed in NSW. The area with the lowest number of Technical Writers is NT, with only 0.6%.

Gender Split

This is a slightly male dominated industry with 53.4% of Technical Writers being male and 46.6% female.

Age Brackets

The most popular age for people working as Technical Writers is 25-34 years old, with 33.7%. A small percentage (3.9%) of people get into this career path older, aged 65 and over. There is also a number of people who enjoy a career as Technical Writers, with 9.7% aged 20-24.

Hours Worked

Technical Writers work an average of 42.7 hours a week which is 1.8 hours higher than the average for all occupations.

Education Level

The majority of Technical Writers have a Bachelor Degree qualification (41.3%) or are at a Year 12 level (25.8%). 74.1% of people have a Cert III or higher, whilst 25.9% have a qualification which is Year 12 or lower.

Technical Writer Duties & Tasks

  • Explain complex situations in simple steps while retaining essential information.
  • Understand in detail the product or procedure being explained.
  • Create graphs, charts and diagrams to assist readers' understanding.
  • Use clear English and explain any necessary specialist vocabulary.
  • Be mindful of readership's prior education and experience.
  • Research best practices and samples of successful materials.
  • Stay up-to-date on advancements made in their specialist field.

 

 

*The information provided on this page is from the Department of Employment’s Job Outlook website. All salary ranges are from Payscale. Where jobs are not exact matches, job areas have been used. This information is to be used as a guide only.