Re:Technical Writer questions
Steve (an aspiring Technical Writer) asks:
<<<Is the average pay (for an entry level tech writer) $15 to $20 an
Hour?>>>
From the perspective of an entry-level tech writer:
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. ::wipes tears from eyes:: I wish. I'm salaried, and I earn $30K, which is an hourly wage of $14.43. And I fought for THAT much. They wanted to pay me $25K. I don't have mouths to feed (other than my own) or overextended credit or a McMansion to pay off, but living on $25K in the NYC metro area is not something one should attempt unless one is forced into such a circumstance.
Now, granted, I'm a 22-year-old recent college graduate with a B.A. in Journalism and no previous full-time employment (two years of part-time tech writing and Web design experience), so YMMV. Thirty-thousand was about all I could bleed from a company based on my background, and with some of my fellow graduates still looking for jobs (or jobs that even marginally relate to their majors), I was grateful to get it. (Don't ask about the 60-mile commute, though.) I'd rather be a tech writer earning $30K than an assistant editor slave-girl earning $23K for the privilege of making photocopies of lunch menus, so I think I made out well.
Some of my classmates had dollar signs in their eyes when told of this mysterious career path known as "technical writing" because every Web site gave the average entry-level salary as around $37-40K, but those sites don't seem to distinguish between fresh-out-of-college entry level and trying-out-a-new-career entry level. I was looking more for a job that could help me build my skills than a job that offered a very comfortable income. I would have loved to have both, but now's the time to sacrifice income for experience because I don't have many financial obligations (and lucky me, no student loans to pay back). And from my job search, brief though it was, there didn't appear to be many fresh-out-of-college entry-level positions for aspiring technical writers. I also saw the economic writing on the wall, and wanted to get in while there was at least some good gettin'.
I'm happy with what I earn because it's better than earning nothing and gives me something to aspire to, but my co-workers tend to take pity on me, so I'm dying to know what they make.
Example: I went to a dollar store a few weeks ago, and I found a pretty sweet commuter cup. One of my co-workers (a good friend and my current HR administrator) said that she wanted three and was hunting for three singles in her purse. I told her that they were only a dollar each, and I could swing that. She looked at me and said, "I know how much you make. Take the three dollars."
Yes, ma'am.
My review is in April, and I hope I get enough of a raise to afford fancy Kraft macaroni & cheese.
-Michelle
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