The following provides information on the technical-writer career, employment prospects, salary ranges, necessary aptitudes, enrollment, and tuition.
Technical writers, technical communicators, information specialists, desktop publishers—the job titles are many—occupy a small but important part of the technical, government, and business world. They may rarely have all the expert technical knowledge—in fact, rarely do—but they excel at communication, at handling information, at document design, at meeting readers' needs.
It is an excellent career path for people with liberal-arts degrees, especially those who have had difficulties getting employment that draws upon the capabilities they developed in college. But it is also a popular choice for technical people who have good communications skills but need a change of scenery.
For more on this career, see these links and references:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 edition, employment of writers and editors generally is predicted to rise in line with the overall national employment average. However, opportunities should be best for writers with training in a specialized field. Demand for technical writers with expertise in areas such as law, medicine, or economics is expected to increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the need to communicate it to others. Legal, scientific, and technological developments and discoveries generate demand for people to interpret technical information for a more general audience. Rapid growth and change in the high-technology and electronics industries result in a greater need for people to write users' guides, instruction manuals, and training materials. This work requires people who not only are technically skilled as writers, but also are familiar with a subject area.
Be aware that students in ACC's Business & Technical Communications program routinely get employment—often as they are taking our courses. One student enrolled in the FrameMaker course (ETWR 2472) cited FrameMaker on her Monster.com resume; she had handsome job offers before the semester was over.
The Society for Technical Communication (STC), one of the primary professional organizations for this career, has chapters all over the U.S., including Austin, Texas. Most chapters hold a yearly salary survey as does STC-Austin:
As you will see in the STC-Austin survey, the average for entry-level writers is $35,000, going up to a high of $52,500.
If you answer yes to one or more of the following, this career might be a good choice for you. If so, contact the department chairperson for the Business & Technical Communications program (see below):
If you want to explore the career further, contact David McMurrey, department chair, at davidm@austincc.edu or 512.223.4804.
Be aware that you can selectively take Business & Technical Communications courses without going for a degree or certificate. Students intending to complete the degree or certificate often get jobs during the program and never complete the degree or certificate.
You can register for Business & Technical Communications courses in one of two ways:
If you plan to go for a degree or certificate (either academic credit or continuing education) or just take selected Business & Technical Communications courses, contact David McMurrey, department chair, at davidm@austincc.edu or 512.223.4804 for advising. You'll want to get on the e-mail list for job and event anouncements and learn about flexibility in course selection.
Tuition depends on whether you take courses for regular academic credit or as continuing education:
Don't forget to contact David McMurrey at davidm@austincc.edu or 512.223.4804 if you plan to go for a degree or certificate (either academic credit or continuing education) or just take selected Business & Technical Communications courses.
If you take Business & Technical Communications courses at Austin Community College for regular academic credit, you must go through the admission process:
There is no admissions process for courses taken as continuing education.
Once you've been admitted to the college, you can register for academic credit courses when the registration periods begin. That's mid-November for spring semesters; mid-April for summer semesters; mid-August for fall semesters. Registration for continuing education occurs at the same time.
Remember: there is no admissions process for courses taken as continuing education.
Don't forget to contact David McMurrey at davidm@austincc.edu or 512.223.4804 if you plan to go for a degree or certificate (either academic credit or continuing education) or just take selected Business & Technical Communications courses.
Austin Community College's Distance Learning Office provides excellent support for students in online courses:
Be aware, however, that if you are a distance student and want to take a course offered only in the classroom, accommodations can usually be made. The Business & Technical Communications program broadcasts the audio and desktop video for many of its courses over the Internet—it's almost like being there.
The Business & Technical Communications Department is located in Building 4000 on Northridge Campus, at the corner of Metric Boulevard and Stonehollow Drive. You are invited to write or call:
David McMurrey, Department Chairperson
Business & Technical Communications Department
Austin Community College
11928 Stonehollow Drive
Austin, Texas 78758-3101
Voice: (512) 223-4804
Facsimile: (512)223-4988
E-mail: davidm@austincc.edu
Return to the ACC Business & Technical Communications program homepage.