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Subject:Salaries: Kill this stupid topic From:Joel Turnipseed <JTurnipseed -at- DATAWORKSMPLS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 10 Jun 1998 13:01:32 -0500
Can we kill this stupid topic? Obviously a 25-35/hr contract rate does
not mean 100K/year. If we look at our respective states' labor figures,
we'd find something like 17/hr median and 19/hr mean incomes. Add
benefits and vacation and training and offices, etc. (in addition to 52
week, count 'em all including vacation, working years) and it all comes
out in the wash. As for extravagent salaries, I know personally of only
one tech writing position (contract) that paid outrageous wages: 55 &
85/hr respectively for two contract tech writers.
It required extensive Unix/Oracle/Parallel Programming experience and
was based in San Jose. I don't know any PROGRAMMERS who could have done
this job.
Let's face it: tech writers who are not managers make a middle class
income.
Can we talk about something more useful now? How 'bout any good books on
pedagogy? Wading through the morass of really, really stupid technical
writing books?
-----Original Message-----
From: Taylor, Steve [mailto:steve -dot- taylor -at- ALLEGIANCETELECOM -dot- COM]
Sent: June 10, 1998 12:48 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Salary Survey from STC
>In my ten years as a tech writer, I've never met anyone who earns as
much
as the STC survey medians indicate (for the respective qualifications).
Then again, I'm in the Midwest.>
I agree with Mark. I looked at that survey, and found, in my experience
over
the last two years, the salaries quoted there aren't median, but
high-end.
I don't know of any of my contemporaries who are earning that kind of
money.
I know of database programmers who might, but not technical writers...
I found the same with the local chapter's salary survey. The figures
seemed
high.
I think if we did our own unofficial survey, we'd find things different.
How
many technical writers out there, either independent or otherwise, who
make
100K a year (gross)? Remember, according to the survey, that's a median,
which means half of all salaries are higher...not in Dallas, there
aren't.
------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Taylor
Consultant for Technical Directions, Inc.
On location at:
Allegiance Telecom, Inc.
Dallas, TX
(214) 853-7182
steve -dot- taylor -at- allegiancetelecom -dot- com http://www.alegiancetele.com
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