5 templates by level and specialty, from general and junior to senior, API, and SaaS, each with a salary range and the FLSA classification guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
The tricky part of writing a technical writer job description is that the title covers several distinct roles. A junior writer drafting help articles, a senior writer who owns the whole documentation set, an API writer reading source code, and a SaaS writer running a knowledge base share a craft but little of the day-to-day work. For a growing software business, this is often the first documentation hire, made by a founder or product lead writing the posting for the first time.
At FirstHR, we build templates that match the real role and stage, which here means five versions by level and specialty, each with a salary range and the FLSA classification almost no competing template covers. The set spans general, junior, senior, API/developer-docs, and SaaS. Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals behind any posting.
TL;DR
Five technical writer job description templates, because the title covers several roles: General, Junior, Senior, API/Developer-Docs, and SaaS. A technical writer turns complex information into clear documentation. The role is usually exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, though a junior writer paid hourly below the salary floor may be non-exempt. The median wage is about $91,670. Download as DOCX, with FLSA and salary built in.
What Does a Technical Writer Do?
A technical writer turns complex information into clear documentation that helps people use a product. The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes technical writers as preparing instruction manuals, how-to guides, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. The job is part writing, part interviewing experts, and part organizing information so users can find it.
In federal data, the role is technical writers (27-3042). In a software company, the work centers on user guides, the knowledge base, developer and API documentation, and release notes. For adjacent writing roles, the editor and content writer templates cover related but different needs, and for the engineers a writer works with, the computer programmer template may help.
Technical Writer Duties and Responsibilities
Technical writer duties cluster into writing and content, working with subject matter experts, structure and standards, and maintenance and impact. What changes by role is the emphasis: API references for a developer-docs writer, the knowledge base and release notes for a SaaS writer. These are the categories the templates use.
Writing and content
Write user guides, manuals, and help articles
Document new features and release notes
Create tutorials, quickstarts, and references
Working with experts
Interview engineers and product managers
Turn complex information into plain language
Read specs, and for API docs, source code
Structure and standards
Organize content so users find answers fast
Apply and maintain a style guide
Keep an information architecture that scales
Maintenance and impact
Keep docs current as the product changes
Use support trends to fill content gaps
Measure whether docs reduce support load
A strong posting picks the specific responsibilities that match the level and product rather than listing every possible task. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by level and specialty. The core structure is the same across all five, but each emphasizes the responsibilities, skills, and salary band that fit a specific kind of technical writer. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General Technical Writer
Most small businesses
The baseline version: user guides, manuals, and help content, working with subject matter experts. Start here and adapt.
Junior / Entry-Level
First or budget hire
For a first or early-career writer with mentorship. Includes the FLSA note that an hourly rate below the salary-basis floor may be non-exempt.
Senior Technical Writer
Owns the doc set
For a writer who owns documentation strategy, the style guide, and mentoring, usually 4 to 8 years of experience.
API / Developer-Docs
Dev-tools and API-first
For documenting APIs and developer tools: references, quickstarts, code samples, OpenAPI, Markdown, and Git.
SaaS / Software
Core SaaS fit
For a growing SaaS product: knowledge base, release notes, and in-app guidance, measured by reduced support tickets.
Match the Template to the Role
Most documentation needs: General. First or early-career hire with mentorship: Junior. Owning the doc set and strategy: Senior. Documenting APIs and developer tools: API / Developer-Docs. Knowledge base and release notes for a SaaS product: SaaS / Software. When in doubt, the General version is the baseline to adapt, and you can lift the FLSA and salary guidance into any of them.
5 Free Technical Writer Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, responsibilities, required and preferred skills, tools, salary range, an FLSA note, and how to apply with a portfolio request. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 5 Job Description Templates
General, junior, senior, API/developer-docs, and SaaS technical writer. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General Technical Writer
The baseline version: user guides, manuals, and help content, working with subject matter experts. Use this for most documentation needs and adapt from here.
Technical Writer Job Description
TECHNICAL WRITER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([on-site / hybrid / remote])
Reports to: __ (Product / Engineering / Documentation Lead)
Employment type: [ ] Full-time
FLSA status: [Usually exempt; confirm by duties and salary]
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[One or two sentences about your company and product, and the documentation the
technical writer will own: user guides, help center, manuals, or product docs.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Technical Writer to create clear, accurate documentation
that helps users understand and use our product. You will work with engineers,
product managers, and support to turn complex information into guides, manuals, and
help articles that reduce confusion and support load.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Write and maintain user guides, manuals, and help center articles
•Turn complex, technical information into clear, usable content
•Work with engineers and product managers as subject matter experts
•Keep documentation accurate and up to date as the product changes
•Edit for clarity, consistency, and a shared style guide
•Organize content so users can find answers quickly
•Gather feedback and improve docs based on real user questions
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Proven experience writing technical or instructional content
•Excellent writing, editing, and plain-language skills
•Able to learn a product and explain it simply
•Comfortable working with subject matter experts
•Portfolio or writing samples required
PREFERRED SKILLS
•Experience with a documentation or help-center tool
•Familiarity with Markdown, a style guide, or structured authoring
•Basic understanding of the product's industry or technology
To apply, send your resume and a portfolio or writing samples to
__.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Junior / Entry-Level Technical Writer
For a first or early-career writer with mentorship and room to grow. Includes the FLSA note that an hourly rate below the salary-basis floor may make the role non-exempt.
•Able to learn a SaaS product quickly and explain it
•Comfortable in a fast release cycle
•Portfolio of help center or product content
PREFERRED SKILLS
•Experience with a knowledge-base or help-center platform
•Familiarity with support metrics and self-service deflection
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
To apply, send your resume and writing samples to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
What to Include in a Technical Writer Job Description
A complete technical writer posting covers the role and product, the responsibilities, the skills and tools, the salary, and the classification. The difference between a weak and a strong posting is specificity: concrete duties and outcomes attract better candidates than vague summaries.
Weak posting
Strong posting
Responsible for documentation
Own the knowledge base and cut support tickets with self-service guides
Good writing skills
Turn complex features into clear, accurate help articles and release notes
Works with the team
Interview engineers and product managers to document new features
Some tools experience
Confluence, Markdown, Git, and a help-center platform
Competitive pay
Salary range stated, with exempt or non-exempt classification
Keep every requirement job-related and the posting neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Are Technical Writers Exempt or Non-Exempt?
This is the question competing templates skip, and it is the one that protects a small employer. Technical writers are usually exempt, but the answer turns on real duties and pay, not the title, and it can change for a junior or part-time writer.
Technical writers are usually exempt under the administrative exemption
The classification almost no competing template addresses is the most useful thing to get right. Technical writers are generally treated as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act administrative exemption, because their primary duty is office work directly related to business operations and they exercise discretion and independent judgment in how they research, structure, and write documentation. A federal appeals court reached exactly this conclusion in Renfro v. Indiana Michigan Power Co. (6th Circuit, 2007), holding that technical writers were properly classified as exempt even though they followed a detailed procedure manual, because they still chose the approach and level of detail for each document. Exempt employees are paid a fixed salary and are not owed overtime. This is general information, not legal advice.
Status is set by actual duties and salary, not the job title
Calling a role exempt does not make it exempt. Federal regulations are explicit that a job title alone does not determine exempt status, and the burden is on the employer to show the role meets the salary and duties tests. To qualify for the administrative exemption, the employee must be paid on a salary basis at or above the federal floor and must actually perform work that involves discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. A writer whose work is purely formulaic copying, with no real judgment, is on weaker ground. Evaluate the real day-to-day duties of your specific role rather than assuming the title settles it. This is general information, not legal advice.
A junior writer paid hourly below the salary floor may be non-exempt
The salary test matters most at the entry level. To be exempt, an employee generally must be paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week, which is $35,568 per year. A junior or part-time technical writer paid an hourly rate that falls below that threshold does not meet the salary-basis requirement and is therefore non-exempt, meaning they are entitled to overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. If you are hiring an entry-level writer at a modest hourly rate, classify carefully and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Getting classification right protects a small business
Misclassifying a non-exempt employee as exempt is one of the more common and costly wage-and-hour mistakes a small business makes, because it can create back-pay liability for unpaid overtime. The fix is simple and worth doing before you post: confirm the role is paid on a salary basis at or above the federal floor, confirm the duties genuinely involve discretion and independent judgment, and write the posting and offer to match. When in doubt, especially for borderline or part-time roles, confirm the classification with a qualified advisor. This is general information, not legal advice.
Usually Exempt, by Duties and Salary
Technical writers are generally exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, a conclusion a federal appeals court reached in Renfro v. Indiana Michigan Power Co. (6th Circuit, 2007), holding writers exempt because they exercised discretion in how they wrote. Status depends on duties and a salary basis of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year), not the job title. A junior writer paid hourly below that floor may be non-exempt.
Technical writer pay varies by experience, industry, and location, so set your range using government data as a baseline and adjust for the level and your market.
Median $91,670 (BLS, May 2024)
Technical writers had a median annual wage of $91,670 as of May 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Employment is projected to grow about 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 4,500 openings a year. Pay runs higher in software and technology and for senior writers, and lower for entry-level roles.
Junior writers typically earn in the mid-$60,000s, mid-level writers around the median, and senior writers who own a documentation set well above it. Salary figures differ across sources because some report base pay and others total compensation, so anchor to the BLS median and adjust for the level and your local market. Post a range where pay transparency rules apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common technical writer hiring mistakes come from treating the role as generic. Avoid these and your posting attracts better-matched candidates.
Mistake
Do this instead
Using one generic posting for every level
Pick the template that matches junior, senior, API, or SaaS
Skipping the FLSA classification
State exempt or non-exempt, confirmed by duties and salary
Not asking for a portfolio
Request writing samples; the work is the best signal
Confusing it with copywriting or content
Be clear you need product documentation, not marketing
Hiding or omitting the salary
Post a realistic range for the level and market
Hiring Your First Technical Writer
For a growing software or SaaS business, the first technical writer usually arrives when the product has outgrown engineers writing docs on the side, but there is no documentation team and often no formal HR. The founder or a product lead runs the hire. That reality shapes how to write the posting, and the startup hiring guide covers the broader playbook.
You are hiring your first documentation person, not staffing a doc team
Most technical writer templates online are written for large companies with established documentation teams and HR departments. A growing software or SaaS business hiring its first writer is in a different spot: the product has outgrown the point where engineers can keep writing the docs, but there is no documentation manager and often no formal HR. The founder, a product lead, or an engineering manager writes the posting. The templates here are built for that moment, so you can pick the version that matches your product and stage, fill in the brackets, and post without translating an enterprise job description down to your size.
Nobody tells you whether the role is exempt, and it is easy to get wrong
The competing templates skip the one compliance question that actually matters for this hire: is a technical writer exempt or non-exempt? For a salaried, full-time writer the answer is usually exempt under the administrative exemption, but for a junior or part-time writer paid hourly below the salary-basis floor, the answer can flip to non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Because the status depends on real duties and pay rather than the title, a small employer should settle it before posting. Doing so keeps the offer accurate and avoids a wage-and-hour problem later. This is general information, not legal advice.
The writer needs product and code access, which makes onboarding its own task
A technical writer is only useful once they can see the product, talk to engineers, and often read the codebase or API specs, which means access and confidentiality come up immediately. Once someone accepts, the work is ordinary people operations with a documentation-and-IP twist: a signed offer, Form I-9 and tax forms, a confidentiality and IP-assignment agreement given the access to product and code, and a structured first week to get into the docs tooling. FirstHR fits that people side: e-signature for the offer and agreements, document management for signed forms, task workflows for the onboarding checklist, and training modules for the style guide and tooling. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a documentation or content tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, send the offer, complete Form I-9 and tax forms, and handle the confidentiality and IP-assignment agreement that matters for someone with access to your product, specs, and code. Then set the writer up with docs tooling, product and repo access, and the style guide so they can produce quickly.
Send the offer
Confirm the role, salary, classification, and start date in writing. An offer letter template makes this fast and clear.
Handle IP and confidentiality
A writer sees the product, specs, and often code, so a signed confidentiality and IP-assignment agreement matters here.
Set up tooling and the style guide
Docs tooling, product and repo access, and the style guide in week one, so the writer can produce quickly.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, agreements, and tax forms organized from the writer's first day.
Companies Using FirstHR Onboard 3x Faster
Join hundreds of small businesses who transformed their new hire experience.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, an employment contract template covers the confidentiality and IP terms, and a 30-60-90 day plan template gives the new writer a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, document management for signed agreements, training modules for the style guide and tooling, and the onboarding workflow in one place, so a growing software business can take a new writer from accepted offer to productive. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a documentation or content tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Technical writer is not one job: general, junior, senior, API/developer-docs, and SaaS writers differ in duties, skills, and pay.
A technical writer turns complex information into clear documentation: guides, help articles, API references, and release notes.
The role is usually exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, confirmed by duties and a salary basis of at least $684 per week.
A junior or part-time writer paid hourly below the salary floor may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible.
Use BLS as an anchor: technical writers earned a median of $91,670 in May 2024, higher in software and for senior roles.
Always ask for a portfolio; the quality of past documentation is the clearest signal of fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a technical writer do?
A technical writer creates clear documentation that helps people understand and use a product or process. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. Day to day, that means interviewing engineers and product managers, turning complex information into plain language, writing user guides, help articles, API references, and release notes, applying a style guide, and keeping documentation accurate as the product changes. In a software company, the work centers on the knowledge base, developer docs, and in-app guidance. The goal is to reduce confusion and support load by making information easy to find and easy to follow.
What should a technical writer job description include?
A strong technical writer job description names the type and level up front, since a junior writer, a senior doc-set owner, an API writer, and a SaaS knowledge-base writer are meaningfully different roles. It includes a short company and product summary, a job summary that makes the documentation focus clear, and responsibilities grouped into writing, working with subject matter experts, structure and standards, and maintenance. It should list the tools you use, state the required and preferred skills, request a portfolio or writing samples, and give a realistic salary range. The most valuable thing competing templates skip is the FLSA classification: state whether the role is exempt or non-exempt. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are technical writers exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Technical writers are usually exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act administrative exemption, but it depends on duties and pay, not the title. The administrative exemption applies when an employee is paid on a salary basis at or above the federal floor and whose primary duty is office work directly related to business operations involving discretion and independent judgment. A federal appeals court applied this to technical writers in Renfro v. Indiana Michigan Power Co. (6th Circuit, 2007), holding they were exempt even though they followed a procedure manual, because they still exercised judgment in how they wrote. A junior or part-time writer paid hourly below the salary-basis threshold of $684 per week may instead be non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Confirm classification by the actual duties and salary. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a technical writer make?
Technical writer pay varies by experience, industry, and location. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for technical writers was $91,670 as of May 2024. Entry-level and junior writers earn less, often in the range of the mid-$60,000s, while senior writers who own a documentation set earn well above the median, with experienced writers in high-cost markets reaching six figures. Pay tends to run higher in software and technology, which employs the largest share of technical writers, and lower in other industries. Salary figures differ across sources because some report base pay and others total compensation, so use the BLS median as your anchor and adjust for the level and your local market. Post a range where pay transparency rules apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
What qualifications does a technical writer need?
A technical writer needs strong writing and editing skills, the ability to learn a product and explain it simply, and comfort working with subject matter experts like engineers and product managers. Many hold a bachelor's degree, often in English, communications, or a technical field, but a strong portfolio frequently matters more than a specific degree. For an API or developer-docs writer, add comfort reading code, working with Git and Markdown, and understanding REST and authentication. For a SaaS writer, add experience with a knowledge-base platform and a fast release cycle. Always ask for a portfolio or writing samples, since the work is the clearest signal of skill. Match the requirements to the specific level and specialty rather than listing every possible qualification.
What is the difference between a technical writer and a copywriter or content writer?
They write for different goals. A technical writer creates instructional and reference content that helps users understand and use a product: manuals, help articles, API references, and release notes, with accuracy and clarity as the priority. A copywriter writes persuasive marketing content meant to drive action, like ads, landing pages, and emails. A content writer sits between the two, producing blog posts, guides, and educational content often aimed at marketing or SEO. The skills overlap in writing quality, but technical writing requires translating complex technical information precisely, while copywriting and content writing emphasize persuasion and engagement. If your need is product documentation rather than marketing, a technical writer is the role to hire. Match the title to the actual work.
Do small businesses need a technical writer?
Many growing software and SaaS businesses do, usually at the point where the product has outgrown engineers writing the documentation in their spare time. A dedicated technical writer pays off when support tickets pile up on questions that good self-service content would answer, when onboarding new users is slow, or when developer adoption depends on clear API docs. Smaller or earlier companies sometimes defer the hire, using engineers, freelancers, or AI-assisted drafts in the meantime. The signal that it is time to hire is when missing or poor documentation is actively costing you in support load, churn, or developer friction. When that point arrives, hiring your first writer well, with a clear job description and a portfolio review, makes the difference. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should I ask technical writers for a portfolio?
Yes. A portfolio or set of writing samples is the single most useful screening tool for a technical writer, because the quality of their documentation is the clearest evidence of whether they can do the job. Ask candidates to share examples of guides, manuals, help articles, or API documentation they have written, ideally close to the kind of content you need. If they cannot share work from a previous employer due to confidentiality, a short writing sample or a take-home exercise on a topic from your domain works well. Review for clarity, structure, accuracy, and how well they explain something complex to a non-expert. A strong portfolio often tells you more than a resume or a degree. Always state the portfolio request directly in the job posting.
