Technical Writers

ANZSCO ID 212415

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,900
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
68%
Female Share
56%
Average age
45

Summary

Technical Writers research and write technical information-based material and documentation for articles, manuals, text books, handbooks, or multimedia products, usually for education or corporate purposes.

Tasks

  • Researches and writes technical, information-based material and documentation for manuals, text books, handbooks and multimedia products.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Journalists and Other Writers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 68% of people employed as Technical Writers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
23.4%
2
Public Administration and Safety
11.4%
3
Arts and Recreation Services
9.6%
4
Manufacturing
7.8%
5
Other industries
42.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

35.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

4.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Technical Writers All Jobs Average
NSW 35.1 31.6
VIC 24.7 25.6
QLD 19.4 20.0
SA 5.0 7.0
WA 9.9 10.8
TAS 1.4 2.0
NT 0.3 1.0
ACT 4.1 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
45
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
56%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Technical Writers is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 56% of the workforce. This is 8 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Technical Writers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 2.9 9.3
25-34 19.4 22.9
35-44 25.8 22.0
45-54 25.1 21.6
55-59 11.1 9.0
60-64 8.3 6.0
65 and Over 7.0 4.2
Median Age 45 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in a specialist field is usually needed to work as a Technical Writer. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Technical Writers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 29.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 38.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 12.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 9.8 21.1
Year 12 8.1 18.1
Year 11 0.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 1.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Journalists and Writers who are literate and can interact well with others.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 71%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 70%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 39%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 36%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 34%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 32%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 30%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 30%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 27%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 77%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 74%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 69%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 60%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 59%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 55%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 51%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 46%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 44%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 41%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 38%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 37%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 35%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 27%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 23%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 20%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 19%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 18%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 14%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 73%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 64%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 61%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 46%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 34%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 34%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 29%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 27%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 27%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 76%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 73%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 68%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 68%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 66%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 64%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 59%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 58%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 56%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 56%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 53%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 50%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 49%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 48%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 48%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 46%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 39%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 62%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 19%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 43%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 95%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 92%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 91%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 91%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 90%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 88%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 85%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 83%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 83%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 83%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 80%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 72%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 70%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 70%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 69%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 69%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 66%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 64%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 62%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-3042.00 - Technical Writers.


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