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Subject:Re: Typical Pay Scale? From:Laura Lemay <lemay -at- DEATH -dot- KALEIDA -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 4 Mar 1994 11:22:33 +0800
>While we're on the subject of salaries, what would you folks consider
>the "norm" for Technical Writers? Granted, I realize it varies depending
>on area, experience, etc.
>What kind of money can a college student with a lot of collegiate-level
>writing work and TW consulting work expect to see with a Degree in
>Technical Writing when they graduate? (Okay, Okay, Okay, the
>generic "College student" is me :) )
Six years ago, when I graduated from school, I got the following
offers. Note that these offers were higher than a lot of my co- tech
writing students; I chalk that up to the fact that I had a LOT of
computer science background, experience with multiple platforms (Mac,
DOS, Unix), and the fact that I had already been freelance tech writing
for two years before I graduated. Of course, all of these offers could
be crappy, for all I know. At the time, they were a very big deal. :)
Mac and Workstation GUI user docs
Huntsville, Alabama
$27K
Unix clone software, sys admin and user docs
Seattle, WA
$28K
Unix-based programming toolkits (programmer docs)
Mt. View, CA
$32K
It is my understanding that tech writers with 5+ yrs experience, in the SF
bay area, are making between $45 and $60K. If I'm way off base,
please let me know; I may start looking for another job soon. :(
