Careers
What is Scientific and Technical Communication?
According to the Society for Technical Communication (STC), the field is defined as: "all processes by which humans convey meaning about the development and use of technology." Scientific and technical communication involves gathering, analyzing, and distributing scientific and technical information efficiently and accurately for specific audiences.
More than Just Writing
Scientific and technical communicators do far more than write. In fact, some spend more than half their time gathering information. For this reason, they must possess excellent interpersonal skills. For example, communicators may work with scientists, engineers, doctors, or computer programmers, learning about products or services. They may work with product developers in the design stage, giving their input on user needs and design considerations.
Scientific and technical communicators transform concepts and ideas into forms that audiences can use and understand. They analyze their audience, the purpose of the communication, and the information to be presented. They select appropriate formats such as reports, newsletters, policy and procedure manuals, brochures, user manuals, videos, online documentation, multimedia, or websites based on their analyses. Finally, they design, produce, and implement the presentation or document, then test it for usability.
Job Titles of Technical Communicators
Because of rapid advances in science and technology, scientific and technical communicators are in demand. Fortunately, that demand has yet to peak. As a professional, you may have any number of job titles including:
- communication consultant
- communication manager
- documentation engineer
- documentation specialist
- freelance writer
- information developer
- information engineer
- information architect
- instructional designer
- marketing writer
- multimedia specialist
- program planner
- publications specialist
- technical editor
- technical writer
- training specialist
- usability engineer
- video scriptwriter
- webmaster
- website designer
In addition, scientific and technical communicators frequently advance into management because of their excellent communication skills.
Our graduates consistently find rewarding careers with outstanding companies. Others pursue graduate education. For a list of some of the businesses and educational institutions where you will find our graduates, see our alumni section.
Salaries
According to STC's 2005 Salary Survey, the mean salary for entry-level technical writers/editors in the United States was $40,730; the mean mid-level, non-supervisory salary was $54,190, and the mean salary with a master's degree was $70,660.
Technical Writing Makes MONEY Magazine's Top 50
In May, 2006, MONEY Magazine and Salary.com released a new list of the 50 "Best Jobs in America"—and technical writing is number 13! Two other jobs in our field—curriculum developer and editor—scored numbers 18 and 19, respectively.
With an average salary of $57,841 (salary and bonus), they're predicting a 10-year growth probability of 23.22% for technical writers.
More Information
ISEEK.org provides information on work activities, skills and abilities, wages, and the outlook for this field.
The California Occupational Guide describes the activities, outlook, and wages for this field. It also lists a number of professional associations.