TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Elna Tymes writes:
> In the realm of Ain't that interesting?...
>
> In the job listings on DICE today, we found a job req. for a Junior
> Technical Writer, for a company in Silicon Valley, paying $25-45/hour.
>
> And you worried that tech. writing was a dead end job!
A couple factors. The fact that it was posted on DICE.com
suggests very strongly that it's a contract position. See my post a
few weeks ago about the life of a contractor. Contracts typically pay
much higher for the privilege of treating the employee like a
disposable person.
Second, it's in Silly Valley. Compared to most sane
cost-of-living areas, $25-40/hour translates to $12.50-20/hour.
Sorry to burst your bubble. Tech writers *can* and *do* get
paid good rates, but it's a tough row to hoe finding the jobs and
proving you're worth the money. There's a reason I mostly support
myself doing web dev these days...