Market for Technical Writing in 2024

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In the rapidly evolving tech landscape of 2024, the demand for technical writers has never been higher. As technology continues to advance, the complexity of software, hardware, and digital services has created a thriving market segment for clear, concise, and accessible documentation and communications.

The business environment since the dot com of the 1990s has fueled consistent and growing demand for technical writers and document experts. Today, technical writing has become an indispensable asset in not only the IT department, but many others.

This is great news for senior tech writers who obviously desire a thriving market for their extensive skill sets and also junior technical writers wanting to ensure that their careers move in a positive direction from the very beginning.

Technical Writing: Market Growth

Recent projections predict robust growth in the technical writing sector, with an expected increase in job opportunities of seven percent from 2022 to 2032 and an even better 10-11 percent growth rate between now and 2026.

The expanding landscape of opportunities for technical writers is driven by a number of factors, including:

• Technological Innovation: New technologies require detailed documentation, from user manuals to API references to standard operating procedures (SOPs), fueling demand for IT professionals who can translate complex information into user-friendly formats.
• AI & Automation: While AI tools assist in content generation, they also create a niche for writers skilled in curating, refining, and optimizing AI-generated content. In such a capacity, AI can help ensure accuracy and user engagement.
• Structured Content: IT pros and tech writers who understand how to develop and maintain structured content—including the most popular tools and markup languages such as CMS, DITA XML, and Markdown—will be in demand. Structured content takes tech writing and enterprise documentation to the next level, adding a layer of intelligence and helping separate content from format.
• User Experience Focus: The emphasis on user experience (UX) and customer experience (CS) in product development has opened a seat at the table for technical writers, who increasingly develop documentation that supports or enhances user interaction.

Technical Writing: Opportunities

For capable technical writers, the market offers many opportunities. The two major categories of technical writers are specialists and generalists. Specialties include particular programming languages, project management approaches, and document types (SOPs, white papers, user manuals, and policy statements are good examples). Other areas of specialty include cybersecurity, disaster recovery, cloud computing, and IoT.

In addition to the opportunity to specialize, technical writers have many other paths they can take, including:

• Contracting & Freelancing: The digital nature of technical writing supports a thriving contracting and freelancing market, offering flexibility for both tech writers and their clients or employers. Those who bore easily and need a change of pace can select one of these options to regularly reboot their work environment.
• Remote Work: A combination of broadband internet and reliable video conferencing makes remote work particularly practical in 2024. While not the best fit for all employers, job positions, or workers, the COVID pandemic proved to the world that remote work is a viable and beneficial option in many use cases.
• Continual Learning: Continual learning (what used to be called professional development) is basically a necessity today for any tech writer or document guru who wishes to remain competitive and fully employed. Those not willing to sacrifice some personal time to build their skillset (and resume) are doomed to lose opportunities to their more motivated peers.
• Certification: Certifications in technical writing and IT topics enhance credibility and open doors to promotions and higher-paying positions. LinkedIn, via its LinkedIn Learning catalog available with all premium accounts, offers thousands of IT and technical skills courses, many of which feature certification.
• Cross-Industry Positions: Technical writing skills are transferable across industries, from software to manufacturing to automotive to aerospace. This naturally broadens employment prospects, something that is particularly beneficial during economically sluggish times. I have personally worked in aerospace/defense, agriculture, banking, biotech, insurance, and manufacturing.

Good Luck

The market for technical writers in 2024 is not just growing, but also evolving. With technology at the forefront of global innovation and every industry being disrupted, tech writers are uniquely positioned to benefit. Their ability to communicate complex information clearly and quickly is more valuable than ever.

For IT professionals and aspiring technical writers, the current tech and AI era presents a solid opportunity to carve out a lucrative and fulfilling career path. The current market desperately needs accuracy and clarity in its documentation and communications.

But that's just my opinion. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

— Curt Robbins, Senior Technical Writer

P.S.: I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround.