Paycheck Atlas

Technical Writers salary in California

The median technical writers in California earns $104,000 a year, 15% above the US median. After tax that is roughly $6,226 a month.

10th percentile
$69,630
25th percentile
$84,250
Median percentile
$104,000
75th percentile
$141,280
90th percentile
$175,510

Based on 5,280 employed. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025. Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience; reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only an approximation.

What you keep

$74,714 take-home a year
Gross pay$104,000
Federal income tax−$14,050
Social Security + Medicare−$7,956
California income tax (approx.)−$7,280
Monthly take-home$6,226
Every two weeks$2,874

Does it go far here?

$93,931Median pay in California is worth this at average US prices (local price level 110.7 vs 100).
33%of take-home pay goes to the median rent ($2,036 a month, Census ACS).

Top-paying jobs in California

JobMedian pay
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$400,150
Neurologists$357,080
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$353,900
Psychiatrists$353,500
General Internal Medicine Physicians$313,890
Obstetricians and Gynecologists$301,240
Nurse Anesthetists$292,410
Physicians, All Other$281,590

All technical writers salaries · Take-home pay in California