Technical writers produce technical matter like equipment manuals and operation and maintenance instructions. It is their job to turn technical jargon into easily understandable language. They write operating and maintenance manuals, catalogs, assembly instructions, and sales promotion materials, and depending on the job description they may take on other assignments as well. Science and medical writers compose documents on the physical or medical sciences. They may also work with researchers on technical subjects to help make the information comprehensible to the layman.

Technical writers usually command a higher salary than nontechnical writers. Technical writing often requires a degree in, or at least some knowledge of, a specialized field. Remember, your job as a technical writer is to take obscure, very technical jargon and come up with a simplified version that any average layperson can understand.