What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Technical Writers in the U.S. earn more than $90,390 a year — the middle 80% land between $57,440 and $145,270. About 45,500 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Technical Writers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$90,390typical pay / year
45,500people in this work
$145,270+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record1
Develop and update online documentation
+Update the online user guide for the gene sequencer: add a new Getting Started section, refresh command…
Develop and update online documentation
+Update the online user guide for the gene sequencer: add a new Getting Started section, refresh command examples to match firmware 3.2, verify all figure captions and links work, then publish the revised HTML by Wednesday morning.
The tools that do the workAtlassian Confluencejob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Learning1
Acquire industry terminology and product knowledge on the job
+Compile a concise terminology sheet from the product spec, field notes, and two engineer interviews—define…
Acquire industry terminology and product knowledge on the job
+Compile a concise terminology sheet from the product spec, field notes, and two engineer interviews—define ten domain terms, cite source, and circulate to the product team for review by next Friday.
The tools that do the workAtlassian ConfluenceO*NETWikipedia
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Analysing2
Edit and revise technical documents for clarity and accuracy
+Edit the draft protocol for the thermal cycler: tighten passive voice, correct reagent concentrations to…
Edit and revise technical documents for clarity and accuracy
+Edit the draft protocol for the thermal cycler: tighten passive voice, correct reagent concentrations to match lab memo, simplify step language for technicians, and mark any unresolved technical queries for Susan before finalizing.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NET
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Gather information through research and interviews
+Research background for the white paper: assemble five peer-reviewed sources, schedule two 30-minute…
Gather information through research and interviews
+Research background for the white paper: assemble five peer-reviewed sources, schedule two 30-minute interviews with Dr. Patel and the lead engineer, and deliver a one-page research brief with key quotes by Thursday noon.
The tools that do the workAtlassian Confluencejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Convincing1
Translate technical jargon into understandable language
+Rewrite the API description of the imaging pipeline so a lab technician can follow it: replace jargon with…
Translate technical jargon into understandable language
+Rewrite the API description of the imaging pipeline so a lab technician can follow it: replace jargon with plain phrases, add two helpful analogies, and produce a short summary paragraph for the website.
The tools that do the workAtlassian Confluencejob descriptionsWikipedia
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The daily work15
Collaborate with designers to create visuals and diagrams
+Work with Maya in design to sketch two diagram concepts for the cell-sorting flow: draft labels and captions,…
Collaborate with designers to create visuals and diagrams
+Work with Maya in design to sketch two diagram concepts for the cell-sorting flow: draft labels and captions, confirm spatial accuracy with Claire, then export layered artwork and a text-only diagram file for the web.
The tools that do the workAdobe Illustratorjob descriptionsO*NET
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Write dialogues
+Draft a 90–1200‑word scene that dramatizes a lab dispute between Dr. Anika Rao and postdoc Marcus Lee about a…
Write dialogues
+Draft a 90–1200‑word scene that dramatizes a lab dispute between Dr. Anika Rao and postdoc Marcus Lee about a contested dataset, using sharp, character-driven dialogue, single‑scene staging, and audible subtext so editors can hear the tension and the missing data's stakes.
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Use specific writing techniques
+Rewrite the submitted feature employing show‑don’t‑tell, strategic anaphora, and clipped rhythms across three…
Use specific writing techniques
+Rewrite the submitted feature employing show‑don’t‑tell, strategic anaphora, and clipped rhythms across three short sections so a skeptical editor sees narrative momentum and the scientific ideas emerge through action and image.
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Create multimedia content like videos or infographics
+Draft a 90-second explainer video script and two matching static infographics about CRISPR ethics, include…
Create multimedia content like videos or infographics
+Draft a 90-second explainer video script and two matching static infographics about CRISPR ethics, include short interview questions for Dr. Elena Martin and captions for social cutdowns, deliver storyboard frames and export-ready image files by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe Creative CloudAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Assist in laying out material for publication.
+Lay out the 24-page feature on ocean acidification as a publication-ready spread: set chapter openers, pull…
Assist in laying out material for publication.
+Lay out the 24-page feature on ocean acidification as a publication-ready spread: set chapter openers, pull quotes, figure captions and image credits, check widows/orphans and export a print-ready PDF by Friday for the art director.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignO*NET
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Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
+Organize the master archive of drafts and revisions for the reef series: consolidate all versions, apply…
Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
+Organize the master archive of drafts and revisions for the reef series: consolidate all versions, apply clear filenames with dates and author initials, create a changelog summarising edits since January and store final versions in the shared project folder today.
The tools that do the workAtlassian ConfluenceO*NET
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Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs)
+Write a clear SOP for producing a short science explainer: define roles from researcher interview to final…
Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs)
+Write a clear SOP for producing a short science explainer: define roles from researcher interview to final proof, list approval gates, timing for drafts and image sourcing, and include a one-page quick checklist for freelancers by Monday.
The tools that do the workAtlassian Confluencejob descriptions
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Organize content logically and visually
+Reorganise the draft on microplastics into a logical flow: propose a new section order, suggest headline…
Organize content logically and visually
+Reorganise the draft on microplastics into a logical flow: propose a new section order, suggest headline hierarchy and visual breaks, and produce a two-column sample page showing text and figure placement for the editor by Thursday.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignjob descriptions
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Participate in content management and collaboration
+Set up the content workflow for the algae project: create a shared project space, invite Sam in editing and…
Participate in content management and collaboration
+Set up the content workflow for the algae project: create a shared project space, invite Sam in editing and Priya in production, define filename conventions, assign tasks with deadlines for draft, factcheck and final approval, and notify the team now.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAAtlassian Confluencejob descriptions
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Support usability and user experience improvements
+Review the current app workflow notes, run a quick heuristic checklist on the main task flows, list three…
Support usability and user experience improvements
+Review the current app workflow notes, run a quick heuristic checklist on the main task flows, list three usability issues with concrete examples and proposed copy changes, and send the prioritized list to UX lead Maria by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAAtlassian Confluencejob descriptions
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Work with Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) to gather knowledge
+Arrange short interviews with Dr. Lee, Ana from lab ops, and Marcus in product to capture three canonical…
Work with Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) to gather knowledge
+Arrange short interviews with Dr. Lee, Ana from lab ops, and Marcus in product to capture three canonical user scenarios, record answers to five targeted questions each, synthesize gaps into a single knowledge brief, and share it with the editorial and engineering teams on Friday.
The tools that do the workAtlassian ConfluenceWikipedia
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Create project plans and software test plans
+Draft a six-week project plan with milestones for drafts, reviews, and a two-cycle software test plan that…
Create project plans and software test plans
+Draft a six-week project plan with milestones for drafts, reviews, and a two-cycle software test plan that ties test cases to user stories, include owners and dates, then publish it to the team and request approval from product manager Ravi by Monday noon.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAAtlassian ConfluenceWikipedia
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Serve as a trained expert in technical writing
+Produce a clear procedural guide for the new instrument that explains steps, failure modes, and required…
Serve as a trained expert in technical writing
+Produce a clear procedural guide for the new instrument that explains steps, failure modes, and required confirmations in plain language, then circulate it to the engineering reviewers and certification lead Nora for sign-off within five working days.
The tools that do the workAtlassian ConfluenceWikipedia
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Develop content for books
+Outline the table of contents for a 250-page trade book on synthetic biology, write chapter synopses for the…
Develop content for books
+Outline the table of contents for a 250-page trade book on synthetic biology, write chapter synopses for the first three chapters and a sample 1,200-word opening, then send the package to agent Claire and publisher edits team by the 15th of next month.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignESCO
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Publishing industry
+Audit the current publication pipeline, list three recurring bottlenecks with evidence from the last six…
Publishing industry
+Audit the current publication pipeline, list three recurring bottlenecks with evidence from the last six months' schedules and recommend specific editorial or production changes, then present the recommendations to head of publishing Sam on Thursday morning.
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses