Volume 2, Issue 2

Spring 2005

Technical Writing

and Online Graduate Programs

By: Connie Boyhan

The field of technical writing is rapidly growing and many job opportunities are available for commercial writers. According to the U. S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics the demand for technical writers in specialty areas such as law, medicine, and economics is increasing. The rapid growth is a result of new scientific and technical information and the need to communicate it to the world.

In 2002 the U. S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median annual earnings for salaried technical writers was $50,580, and the median annual salary for entry level technical writers was $41,000. Peter Bowerman, author of  The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less, says commercial writing fees are based on hourly rates of $50 - $100+. You can realistically earn $30,000 a year. If you are aggressive and can market yourself, you could easily earn $50,000 a year. Technical writers are needed to create marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletters, direct mail campaigns, speeches, trade articles, video scripts, and many other types of projects. According to Bowerman, large companies such as BellSouth, Coca-Cola, and UPS are a few of the companies hiring freelance commercial writers. For more information visit his Web site at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/.

According to Dr. Janice Walker, Associate Professor at Georgia Southern University in the Department of Writing and Linguistics, there are many excellent job opportunities for technical writers. "Many high-tech industries are moving more routine technical writing tasks to third world countries, for example, India," says Walker. "What that leaves, however, is a distinct opportunity for professional technical comminicators to move into positions in project management, editing, things that not just anyone can do to ensure the quality of the product."  If you have a graduate degree in technical communication you are going to be much more employable.  You could teach courses in it and you would be in demand in high-tech industries and government positions. You are more likely to have the project management skills and the usability testing skills you would need. You basically could choose the industry you want to go into.

 If you're interested in a career in technical writing you would benefit by getting a graduate degree, and there are several online graduate programs that are gaining in popularity. A report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) finds that distance learning is increasing. The report states sixty percent of online learners are over 25 years of age and female. Many of these are working mothers who are interested in furthering their education, and they are doing so online, adding a difficult "third shift" to their responsibilities as mothers and employees, according to the study, The Third Shift: Women Learning Online, by Cheris Kramarae, the AAUW Educational Foundation 1999-2000 Scholar-in-Residence. Nonetheless, the online program is appealing to working women because it is convenient. They can stay home with their family, learn at their own pace, and save money and time by not having to commute to a university.

There are many benefits to earning a graduate degree online. After investigating several programs, I recommend Texas Tech's online program in technical communication. Since I believe their program is one of the best available, I contacted Dr. Locke Carter, Director of Technical Communication at Texas Tech university, and asked him to tell prospective graduate students about Texas Tech's program. Dr. Carter's video and the following information will provide you with an overview of the program.

Program Description

• Editing
• Design
• Rhetorical Theory
• Publications Management
• Usability Testing