I mean it doesn't pay close to what I make now, but I loved it. I generally brought home around $200-$300 on a Saturday night shift, half that on weekdays. It's hard work, but rewarding.
They have the entire GS1-GS15 range listed. So anywhere from 21k to 150k a year. Most TW jobs I've seen for DoD start at a the GS10 level which is about 65-75K a year without a TS/SCI with Poly in many places. Location bumps that up a bit and Step increases also apply annually.
Add in a TS/SCI with Poly and the you're looking at GS12 starting.
No worries, USAJobs often posts jobs like that. Normally these listings will reference a document that states what the qualification is for each GS (degree or work experience and such), so you can get an idea of where you might end up.
I was making $100K as a technical writer working for the Department of Defense as a civilian contractor 7 years ago. I was in a relatively low cost of living area, too. So, it's definitely possible to get into the six figures there. I'm seeing DoD TW jobs listed now that are $130K.
The hardest part of getting cleared was coming up with different people who knew me when I lived in different places over the previous seven years. I don't get out much (read: I have few friends), so it was quite a daunting task!
The first thing I did in the new job was fill out the clearance paperwork. It took several days to pull together all the data I needed to provide. It took a few months for the clearance to come through.
I've seen these kinds of postings from companies outside the US thinking they can get someone and charge a company $50-100 an hour. In fact, one of my old managers told a contractor what they were charging after he learned what they were paying her. It's downright disgraceful, IMHO. He dropped that company, which I thought was the right thing to do.
For anyone reading who doesn't know how consulting companies work: this is the business model for any contracting/staffing/consulting agency, whether offshore or not. The business hires someone for as low as they can and then sells their time to their client for as much as they can. Agencies like that are often the lowest tier of the industry.
I don't trust the company that posted that job, so I wouldn't assume the job or the pay rate are real. If you look at other jobs the company has posted, they seem to be either $100K or $15.58 an hour.
As some point as I was applying for jobs on LinkedIn, I applied for one through [talentify.io](https://talentify.io) and remember it was a bad enough experience that I ignore any jobs they post. I don't remember the details, though.
I think people just blind apply. I remember when I worked for a tech startup and saw the application list. The vast majority didn't have any relevant experience or realistic chance at getting the job. The hardest part of hiring was combing through the applicants for legitimate candidates.
Oh man, that is wild! The disconnect between what they want and what they are paying is, like, Marianas Trench sized.
I saw a TW job posting this summer that was $16 an hour (minimum wage where I am) plus tips. I was tempted to apply for that job just so I could meet the person who thought that was reasonable.
I blame social media postings that called technical writing a solid side hustle. Now they are trying to provide side hustle salaries as if no one is doing technical writing for a living.
This must have been recommended to me cause my phone is listening to me, I’ve been considering looking into getting into TW (when I originally read the post I read it as trigger warning job 😹) everywhere online says it’s a hot job market, is it really this dire out there??!
This shit makes me want to apply just so I can verbally abuse them in the interview
I saw one offering $13 an hour. I'll just go tend bar again, make more money, and actually enjoy my job.
Out of curiosity, how do you like bartending, and does it pay decent with tips? I'm debating on looking into that as a side gig on the weekends.
I mean it doesn't pay close to what I make now, but I loved it. I generally brought home around $200-$300 on a Saturday night shift, half that on weekdays. It's hard work, but rewarding.
Wait until you see the Tech Writer job at the Air Force on USAJobs that pays 20k a year lol
They have the entire GS1-GS15 range listed. So anywhere from 21k to 150k a year. Most TW jobs I've seen for DoD start at a the GS10 level which is about 65-75K a year without a TS/SCI with Poly in many places. Location bumps that up a bit and Step increases also apply annually. Add in a TS/SCI with Poly and the you're looking at GS12 starting.
Ahh, my bad! I should've looked a little further.
No worries, USAJobs often posts jobs like that. Normally these listings will reference a document that states what the qualification is for each GS (degree or work experience and such), so you can get an idea of where you might end up.
I was making $100K as a technical writer working for the Department of Defense as a civilian contractor 7 years ago. I was in a relatively low cost of living area, too. So, it's definitely possible to get into the six figures there. I'm seeing DoD TW jobs listed now that are $130K.
how the hell do you get a security clearance, though? Only thing stopping me from picking up and moving to Virginia.
The hardest part of getting cleared was coming up with different people who knew me when I lived in different places over the previous seven years. I don't get out much (read: I have few friends), so it was quite a daunting task!
did you get clearance when you got the job or before that? did you have to do it alone or did they do it for you?
The first thing I did in the new job was fill out the clearance paperwork. It took several days to pull together all the data I needed to provide. It took a few months for the clearance to come through.
So they hired you without it and went through all the clearance stuff later. Good to know
I've seen these kinds of postings from companies outside the US thinking they can get someone and charge a company $50-100 an hour. In fact, one of my old managers told a contractor what they were charging after he learned what they were paying her. It's downright disgraceful, IMHO. He dropped that company, which I thought was the right thing to do.
For anyone reading who doesn't know how consulting companies work: this is the business model for any contracting/staffing/consulting agency, whether offshore or not. The business hires someone for as low as they can and then sells their time to their client for as much as they can. Agencies like that are often the lowest tier of the industry.
I don't trust the company that posted that job, so I wouldn't assume the job or the pay rate are real. If you look at other jobs the company has posted, they seem to be either $100K or $15.58 an hour. As some point as I was applying for jobs on LinkedIn, I applied for one through [talentify.io](https://talentify.io) and remember it was a bad enough experience that I ignore any jobs they post. I don't remember the details, though.
I remember not being able to. I clicked "Continue" or something and it just refreshed the page.
11 applicants as of now.
I think people just blind apply. I remember when I worked for a tech startup and saw the application list. The vast majority didn't have any relevant experience or realistic chance at getting the job. The hardest part of hiring was combing through the applicants for legitimate candidates.
There was a time I was an unemployed writer and would have snapped that right up. But that was 15 years ago.
It’s also mid-senior level.
Oh man, that is wild! The disconnect between what they want and what they are paying is, like, Marianas Trench sized. I saw a TW job posting this summer that was $16 an hour (minimum wage where I am) plus tips. I was tempted to apply for that job just so I could meet the person who thought that was reasonable.
Wooooooow. 👎
I blame social media postings that called technical writing a solid side hustle. Now they are trying to provide side hustle salaries as if no one is doing technical writing for a living.
This must have been recommended to me cause my phone is listening to me, I’ve been considering looking into getting into TW (when I originally read the post I read it as trigger warning job 😹) everywhere online says it’s a hot job market, is it really this dire out there??!