Find the best Technical Writing jobs
It takes just one job to develop a successful relationship that can propel your career forward.
Find work Interested in hiring?Professionals on Upwork rate clients
on average from 2M+ reviews
Check out a sample of the 362 Technical Writer jobs posted on Upwork
Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed
Less than 1 month
Duration
Intermediate
Experience level
I need a traffic impact assessment report written for a 20 lot primitive campground. The entrance and exit are one and the same and ar…
$40
Fixed-price
Expert
Experience level
We are seeking a skilled Technical Writer with experience in developing technical proposals for NGOs and governmental organizations, sp…
Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed
1 to 3 months
Duration
Intermediate
Experience level
Position Summary: Wonderschool is harnessing the power of technology to provide comprehensive support to child care providers operatin…
$500
Fixed-price
Expert
Experience level
Create CPSR comprised of two parts; Part A: Cosmetic Product Safety Information and Part B: Cosmetic Product Safety Assessment. Part A…
$10,000
Fixed-price
Intermediate
Experience level
This is an introductory and explanatory article, which will be published on our blog:https://www.pcbasic.com/blog/ 1. Plagiarism: T…
Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed
Less than 1 month
Duration
Intermediate
Experience level
We are a Silicon Valley based startup offering a cloud based development environment (Docker in the cloud). We are looking for develope…
Less than 30 hrs/week
Hours needed
More than 6 months
Duration
Expert
Experience level
This job is to create a Wikipedia page for an active holiday hospitality brand which has operations in 8 countries.
$500
Fixed-price
Expert
Experience level
We need a Board certified toxicologist (US Education preferred) who has experience working in FDA Biocompatibility guidance (Specifical…
$100
Fixed-price
Expert
Experience level
Description:** I am looking for a skilled writer to create a high-quality proposal for my thesis on **"The Impact of Data Analytics on…
30+ hrs/week
Hours needed
More than 6 months
Duration
Expert
Experience level
A deep understanding of the S1000D standard and its requirements. Managing the documentation workflow, keeping track of different versi…
can earn $25–$50/hr.
$25 $50
Median hourly rates (USD)
How to Become a Freelance Technical Writer
Technical writers are the key to making complex topics simple and straightforward. Whether writing white papers, user guides, or product manuals, technical writers are well versed in conveying technical topics in a way that makes the subject easy to understand for a non-technical audience. If you can distill complex topics down to easily understandable content, you may have what it takes to be a freelance technical writer on Upwork.
What does a freelance technical writer do?
A freelance technical writer takes complex, technical topics and crafts easily digestible, readable content in the form of blogs, white papers, user guides, medical writing, case studies, and product instruction manuals. This career path is centered around producing clear and concise technical information. Most clients requiring the skills of a technical writer leverage insight and information from engineers and other highly technical professionals.
Most highly technical professionals struggle to convey information in a way that makes sense for others not as well versed in their field. What’s needed is someone who can take that complex information from technical professionals and craft content that’s relatively easy to understand.
Freelance technical writers often collaborate closely with technical professionals in order to glean complex information and accurately translate it into content that communicates clearly to the client’s intended audience. Technical writers can be found working with organizations in a number of highly technical and complex industries, such as aerospace, IT, high-end manufacturing, engineering, energy, and the medical field.
What skills do I need to become a freelance technical writer?
In addition to possessing education and experience, the most in-demand technical writers exhibit a balance of left-brain and right-brain characteristics. On one hand, a technical writer must understand complex and technical concepts. On the other hand, the writer must also be proficient at crafting content that is easy to read while conveying the complexities of the topic at hand.
Most freelance technical writers should should possess the following:
- An ability to easily understand complex and technical concepts
- Excellent critical thinking skills
- Excellent writing and communication skills
- The ability to creatively distill complex topics down to easily understood content
- The ability to communicate effectively with clients, subject matter experts, and specific target audiences
- A thorough understanding of the industry and the target audience for which the content is being written
- Problem-solving and troubleshooting ability
- Excellent research and investigative skills
- The ability to meet deadlines
- The ability to collaborate with others
- Advanced organizational skills
What are the core freelance technical writer job responsibilities?
There are a number of tasks freelance technical writers are responsible for as they work with clients, other tech writers, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders. While responsibilities will vary across organizations, industries, and projects, there are some common responsibilities technical writers should anticipate taking on.
They include:
- Write and edit technical documents, including white papers, reference and product manuals, user guides, and blogs and articles
- Collaborate extensively with engineers, programmers, project managers, and other stakeholders in the technical field to understand concept details
- Research and investigate solutions important to the target audience
- Create and adhere to a content calendar, including research, draft, review, and publications processes
- Work directly with graphic designers and other artists to develop clearly understandable illustrations designed to help convey complex topics
- Receive feedback from technical stakeholders as well as clients in order to course-correct accuracy of the content
Should I get a degree or certification to be a freelance technical writer?
For those hoping to become a technical writer, the optimal education and experience is similar to that of many other professionals who write for a living. In these instances, it’s best to obtain some form of formal education, usually from an accredited university or college.
Technical writers must also earn experience writing for a variety of technical organizations and within complex industries. This provides practice and the ability to develop research and critical-thinking skills in a live environment.
Popular degrees or certifications recommended to become a freelance technical writer include:
- Associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in English, journalism, marketing, computer science, and communications from an accredited college or university
- Certified Professional Technical Communicator—offered by the Society for Technical Communication
- Medical Writer Certified—offered by the American Medical Writers Association
Jump-start your freelance technical writing career on Upwork and start looking for your first job. Eager to learn more about freelance technical writing jobs on Upwork? Check out these additional resources:
Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this section. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyse and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.
Your next job starts right here
Set up a free profile to showcase your skills, experience and desired pay rate to clients. You choose the payment method that's best for you to easily get paid for your work.
Find workGives you security and peace of mind