Federal Technical Writer Hourly Rates
Documentation, proposals, and technical content.
Across 1,744 GSA-awarded technical writer labor rates, the government pays a median of $86/hour, typically ranging from $63 to $103.
Minimum
$30
25th pct
$63
Median
$86
75th pct
$103
Maximum
$324
$3025th–75th percentile$324
By education level
| Education | Rates | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | 6 | $222 | $101–$242 |
| Masters | 30 | $148 | $74–$181 |
| Bachelors | 1,284 | $86 | $30–$324 |
| Other Tech School or Certification | 12 | $76 | $51–$101 |
| High School | 169 | $74 | $34–$150 |
| Associates | 220 | $74 | $37–$302 |
| High School Equivalent | 15 | $64 | $46–$123 |
| None | 8 | $59 | $39–$70 |
Vendors with the most awarded technical writer rates
| Vendor | Rates | Median |
|---|---|---|
| LEIDOS, INC. | 44 | $89 |
| SCIENCE SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS, INC. | 12 | $64 |
| SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | 12 | $86 |
| CHENEGA PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL SERVICES LLC | 12 | $89 |
| INTELLIBRIDGE, LLC | 10 | $85 |
| COGNOSANTE MVH LLC | 10 | $58 |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INC. | 10 | $87 |
| ABACUS TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION | 9 | $75 |
| JADIN TECH, LLC | 9 | $76 |
| SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC | 9 | $101 |
Source: GSA CALC+ awarded ceiling rates (buy.gsa.gov), matched on labor-category titles containing “technical writer”. These are contract ceiling rates on Multiple Award Schedule vehicles — the not-to-exceed rate a vendor may bill, not necessarily the invoiced rate. Use as a fair-and-reasonable benchmark, not a quote.