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Technical & Scientific Writing

Types of Degrees Technical & Scientific Writing Majors Are Earning

Those studying Technical & Scientific Writing may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	15
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	640
Master’s Degree	2,138
Doctor’s Degree	31

What Technical & Scientific Writing Majors Need to Know

Programs in Technical & Scientific Writing emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Technical & Scientific Writing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Technical & Scientific Writing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Technical & Scientific Writing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Technical & Scientific Writing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Technical & Scientific Writing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Technical & Scientific Writing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Technical & Scientific Writing graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Etymology Teacher
• Classics Teacher
• English Teacher
• Humanities Professor
• Literature Professor
• Composition Instructor
• Etymology Professor
• Creative Writing Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Technical & Scientific Writing graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	35.9%
Master’s degree	20.6%
Bachelor’s degree	14.2%
Some college courses	8.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.8%
Less than a high school diploma	7.1%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%
First professional degree	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Technical & Scientific Writing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 73.9% of Technical & Scientific Writing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,095	73.9%
Men	740	26.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Technical & Scientific Writing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,650	58.2%
Asian	77	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	361	12.7%
Black or African American	518	18.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	107	3.8%
Race Unknown	68	2.4%
International Students	39	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Technical & Scientific Writing Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Technical & Scientific Writing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,712
4 years	$44,745
5 years	$51,958

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,958 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Technical & Scientific Writing Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Technical & Scientific Writing. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	1
Bachelor’s	13	7
Master’s	15	5
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Technical & Scientific Writing Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Technical & Scientific Writing graduates earn a median of $44,745 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	23.13
Creative Writing	23.1302
Rhetoric and Composition	23.1304
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other	23.1399
Writing, General	23.1301
Children’s and Adolescent Literature	23.1405
General Literature	23.1401
Literature, Other	23.1499

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.