Technical writer: you to me - I to you
So what can a technical writer do? Traditionally, technical writers are involved in the creation of:
But not only. Their competence also includes the selection of illustrations, graphs and diagrams, the preparation of video materials, multimedia products and websites. In general, everything to explain to the end user how to apply this software product, but not to enter the sphere of the marketing department: “buy our product - it is the best!”.
There are more exotic and non-traditional approaches. For example, engaging technical writers to edit system messages and error reports of programs, as well as to assess the usability of graphical interfaces in the process of its development,
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And in general, the modern name of this profession is “technical communicator”, and this provides for the submission and exchange of information by any means, not necessarily written.
And about the most important ...
That is about the salary.
According to the report of the Society for Technical Communication in Europe, the salaries of technical writers, let's call them here in such a way, can reach 90,000 euros per year.
Salary plug in the United States ranges from $ 36,490 to $ 94,550, the average salary according to the Department of Labor: $ 60,380. But there is a stratification by state, here is an example of such average salaries:
It is noted that the lowest wages are technical writers in the states of Texas and Louisiana. Freelancers can work at rates ranging from $ 30 to $ 70 per hour, it really depends on the qualifications and on how you agree.
The average salary in Canada is $ 61,000. A Brazilian character from our previous article requests $ 12.22 for his work.
Alas, their colleague’s income in the former USSR is much lower. In Europe, the difference between the salaries of a technical writer and a programmer is about 10 percent, in the post-Soviet space it reaches 40. The maximal income of a Russian, and also of a Ukrainian qualified specialist, who writes in English and works in a large company or branch of an international company, is about 20,000–25 000 dollars
The lowest offer I've ever seen in Kiev is 2000 UAH. (about 8,000 rubles). I guess what emotions this sum causes. For the sake of fairness I will add: my students, having got to practice at this company, experienced similar emotions, despite the fact that they were not technical writers. So this amount should be taken into account as a humorous lower value (not even “gender”, but rather “basement”). In general, in Kiev, as in Ukraine as a whole, you will not understand the fork of salaries, you come across in search only for resumes, and mostly - graduates of linguistic faculties. Familiar HR-manager also called the amount at random: average - approx. $ 1000- $ 1300, the upper limit - as agreed.
EPAM Systems for similar work in Karaganda ( rabota.mail.ru/vacancy/949981 ) offers from 50,000 to 75,000 tenge. Uff, I even find it difficult to say whether it is a lot or a little.
Here is an interesting proposal in Moscow: www.funkyjob.ru/vacancy/25916184.html , and the salary level is more interesting here. The minimum salary of a technical writer is $ 800, the average salary is $ 1500. An employee of a large western company writing technical documentation in English receives about $ 2,000. Of course, it is worth considering a higher price level.
Having researched the Russian market, I identified the following figures: from 14,000 rubles ( 100rabot.ru/vacancy/2595F5BE4AFFCD4B.xhtml , further research showed that the company’s office is located in Pyatigorsk)
Here are the salary levels of the company Developer Express Inc. (their branch is located in Tula): www.dxrussia.ru/job.xml . Hopefully, the same amounts apply to technical writers, at least, as promised.
If these amounts of programmers' salaries correspond to reality, then in comparison with them it is not so bad.
And finally, I'll tell you ...
Gentlemen programmers, finally I will appeal to you. Testers and technical writers are not your enemies who are trying to find a bug in your ideal code or need attention and waste your time. The first helps to improve the product, and the second - to tell people how to use it properly. There will be neither the first nor the second - there will be no your salary. This is the symbiosis in the IT world.
- “Online help” to assist in the use of the software product, an example of such help is everything that appears in any program by pressing the “Help” button;
- documents for assembling a software product (you will understand the value of this document on your first day at the company, when you need to put together a certain program and you have to go around the office and pester everyone with questions, while the existing manual has nothing to do with reality; well, familiar picture?);
- training materials designed for company employees;
- the content of the company's web pages or a specific company product — by this criterion, content managers also belong to technical writers;
- selection of adequate terminology and analogs of foreign terms when translating system messages or documentation into another language;
- instructions for company personnel (example of English instructions: http://www.envision.ca/templates/resources.asp?ID=111 );
- Answers inquiries from potential investors to attract business investments.
But not only. Their competence also includes the selection of illustrations, graphs and diagrams, the preparation of video materials, multimedia products and websites. In general, everything to explain to the end user how to apply this software product, but not to enter the sphere of the marketing department: “buy our product - it is the best!”.
There are more exotic and non-traditional approaches. For example, engaging technical writers to edit system messages and error reports of programs, as well as to assess the usability of graphical interfaces in the process of its development,
')
And in general, the modern name of this profession is “technical communicator”, and this provides for the submission and exchange of information by any means, not necessarily written.
And about the most important ...
That is about the salary.
According to the report of the Society for Technical Communication in Europe, the salaries of technical writers, let's call them here in such a way, can reach 90,000 euros per year.
Salary plug in the United States ranges from $ 36,490 to $ 94,550, the average salary according to the Department of Labor: $ 60,380. But there is a stratification by state, here is an example of such average salaries:
- California $ 75,470 ($ 36 per hour)
- Massachusetts $ 72,820 ($ 35 per hour)
- Washington $ 72,490 ($ 35 per hour)
- New Hampshire $ 69,680 ($ 34 per hour)
- Nevada $ 69,530 ($ 33 per hour).
It is noted that the lowest wages are technical writers in the states of Texas and Louisiana. Freelancers can work at rates ranging from $ 30 to $ 70 per hour, it really depends on the qualifications and on how you agree.
The average salary in Canada is $ 61,000. A Brazilian character from our previous article requests $ 12.22 for his work.
Alas, their colleague’s income in the former USSR is much lower. In Europe, the difference between the salaries of a technical writer and a programmer is about 10 percent, in the post-Soviet space it reaches 40. The maximal income of a Russian, and also of a Ukrainian qualified specialist, who writes in English and works in a large company or branch of an international company, is about 20,000–25 000 dollars
The lowest offer I've ever seen in Kiev is 2000 UAH. (about 8,000 rubles). I guess what emotions this sum causes. For the sake of fairness I will add: my students, having got to practice at this company, experienced similar emotions, despite the fact that they were not technical writers. So this amount should be taken into account as a humorous lower value (not even “gender”, but rather “basement”). In general, in Kiev, as in Ukraine as a whole, you will not understand the fork of salaries, you come across in search only for resumes, and mostly - graduates of linguistic faculties. Familiar HR-manager also called the amount at random: average - approx. $ 1000- $ 1300, the upper limit - as agreed.
EPAM Systems for similar work in Karaganda ( rabota.mail.ru/vacancy/949981 ) offers from 50,000 to 75,000 tenge. Uff, I even find it difficult to say whether it is a lot or a little.
Here is an interesting proposal in Moscow: www.funkyjob.ru/vacancy/25916184.html , and the salary level is more interesting here. The minimum salary of a technical writer is $ 800, the average salary is $ 1500. An employee of a large western company writing technical documentation in English receives about $ 2,000. Of course, it is worth considering a higher price level.
Having researched the Russian market, I identified the following figures: from 14,000 rubles ( 100rabot.ru/vacancy/2595F5BE4AFFCD4B.xhtml , further research showed that the company’s office is located in Pyatigorsk)
Here are the salary levels of the company Developer Express Inc. (their branch is located in Tula): www.dxrussia.ru/job.xml . Hopefully, the same amounts apply to technical writers, at least, as promised.
If these amounts of programmers' salaries correspond to reality, then in comparison with them it is not so bad.
And finally, I'll tell you ...
Gentlemen programmers, finally I will appeal to you. Testers and technical writers are not your enemies who are trying to find a bug in your ideal code or need attention and waste your time. The first helps to improve the product, and the second - to tell people how to use it properly. There will be neither the first nor the second - there will be no your salary. This is the symbiosis in the IT world.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/70636/
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