How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Remote Technical Writer?
For every business, clear and precise communication is more important than it has ever been. Businesses will rely on high-quality data to make sure the services, products, and processes are easily understood by the internal teams and external users. This is where the technical writers will play an important role. From user manuals and API documentation to internal process guides and training materials, technical writers can transform complicated data into content that is accurate, engaging, and accessible.
With a rise in demand for remote work, companies will no longer be required to limit themselves to hiring local talent. Remote technical writers will offer cost efficiency, flexibility, and access to a global talent pool. However, one of the key concerns that businesses face when considering remote hires is understanding the cost. The cost of hiring a technical writer tends to go beyond just the monthly or hourly rate; it depends on various factors like the writer’s experience, expertise in specific technologies or industries, geographic location, and the complexity and scope of the project.
Moreover, additional considerations like revision, research, formatting, and collaboration tools can add to the overall expenses. For businesses that are planning to scale the documentation or deliverables effectively, having a clear understanding of these costs is important for budgeting, resource allocation, and ensuring high ROI.
In this blog, we provide a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with hiring a remote technical writer, explore the factors that influence pricing, and offer actionable insights to help businesses make informed decisions when hiring top remote talent.
Why should businesses hire remote technical writers?
Businesses tend to operate in a global environment where clear and accurate communication is important. Hiring a remote technical writer will enable companies to produce high-quality manuals, guides, and documentation. Here are some reasons why you should hire remote technical writers:
1. Simplify complex information
Businesses tend to produce a huge amount of content, which includes product manuals, help guides, knowledge bases, and API documentation. Accurate and precise communication is important. Remote technical writers will help in translating complicated technical data into easily comprehensible content, thus ensuring internal teams and external clients can access and understand important information without any confusion.
2. Flexibility and cost efficiency
Hiring a remote technical writer will allow businesses to save overhead costs which are associated with full-time and in-office employees. Companies can easily hire writers on a project basis or for ongoing work, which provides flexibility in scaling teams according to workload. Access to a global talent pool also means specialized expertise is just a hire away, be it in software, engineering, healthcare, or other niche industries.
3. Quick turnaround with access to global talent
Remote technical writers will work across multiple time zones, which will allow for continuous productivity. This will ensure quick project completion and seamless collaboration with international teams and continuous content updates, which is important in fast-paced industries.
4. Maintain professionalism and consistency
Professional technical writers will ensure that all content aligns with the industry regulations, company standards, and user expectations. This will maintain brand authority and consistency, which will elevate the quality of documentation and strengthen the credibility and professional image of the company.
5. Making smart investments for long-term development
Employing remote technical writers is a strategic investment that goes beyond content production. No matter where your team or audience is situated, it guarantees that technical material is accurate, professional, and accessible while also improving communication, increasing productivity, and lowering expenses.
What factors influence the cost of hiring a remote technical writer?
Hiring a remote technical writer could be a huge game-changer for businesses that are looking to produce high-quality, professional, and precise content. However, the cost of hiring a technical writer is not fixed; it varies based on various key factors. Understanding these can help businesses plan their budget effectively and make smart hiring decisions.
1. Expertise and experience
The writer’s experience level will play a huge role in determining costs. Senior technical writers with years of domain-specific knowledge typically command higher rates than junior writers. Specialized talent in fields like healthcare, finance, engineering, or software development will also increase costs because of the demand for precise and high-quality content.
2. Complexity and scope of work
The type of content you require will affect the pricing. Writing a detailed API documentation or legal data will usually cost more than just creating basic user guides or blog posts. More complex projects will require research, multiple revisions, and interviews with subject matter experts, all of which will impact the total costs.
3. Project volume and duration
Cost is influenced by whether you’re hiring for a one-time project or continuing content requirements. Long-term collaborations will come with discounted rates for consistent work, while urgent or one-time projects will carry higher charges because of tight deadlines and immediate deliverables.
3. Location of the writer
Remote writers from multiple countries will have varying market rates. For example, writers in the US or Western Europe usually charge more than those in the Philippines, India, or Mexico. However, the quality and expertise can be comparable. Companies can balance talent and cost by hiring from regions with lower costs without compromising on the quality.
4. Platforms and tools required
Certain technical writing projects will need access to specialised tools such as markdown editors, content management systems, or collaborative platforms. Access to these tools and the proficiency in using them can affect the final cost, especially if software licenses are required.
5. Turnaround and urgency time
Fast-tracking projects or working with tight deadlines can increase costs. Writers might charge premium rates to prioritize urgent tasks while also maintaining quality. Planning projects with reasonable timelines can help optimize costs. Additionally, top skills to look for when hiring technical writers, such as expertise in specific domains and strong communication abilities, can ensure quality without escalating costs.
How much does it cost to hire a remote technical writer?
The cost of hiring a remote technical writer can vary depending on factors like industry specialization, complexity of the project, experience, and geographic location. Understanding these average rates can help businesses plan budgets more effectively and make informed decisions during hiring. The rates of technical writers in the top countries are:
- USA: $5666 – $8333 / month
- Mexico: $2430 – $4752 / month
- India: $850 – $1700 / month
- Philippines: $731 – $1275 / month
Source: Glassdoor
What are the hidden costs when hiring a remote technical writer?
While the cost of a remote technical writer might seem pretty straightforward, businesses will often have to face hidden costs that can impact the overall budget. Understanding these costs upfront will ensure better planning and avoid misunderstandings later.
1. Training and onboarding
Even highly experienced technical writers will require time to understand the products, processes, and documentation standards. This onboarding period includes training sessions, access to internal tools, and knowledge transfer, which can add extra costs and hours before the writer will fully produce independent work.
2. Collaboration and communication tools
Remote work will require effective tools for file sharing, project management, and collaboration. Subscription costs for tools such as Notion, Jira, Google Workspace, or Slack can be an additional expense, especially when multiple team members are involved in managing or reviewing content.
3. Staffing agency fees (if applicable)
Hiring through a staffing or recruitment agency will simplify the process, but will often accompany markup fees, which will increase the overall cost of hiring. These fees will cover pre-screening, sourcing, and administration.
4. Wire transfer fees and payment
For global hires, businesses might incur currency conversion fees for wire transfers, especially when paying freelancers or agencies in multiple countries. Over time, these fees can vastly impact the final cost.
Why should you consider hidden costs when hiring?
When hiring a remote technical writer or any remote professional, it is quite easy to focus on the advertised hourly rates or monthly salary. However, ignoring the hidden costs can cause budget overruns and unexpected delays.
Hidden costs go way beyond just money. They also include resources, time, and administrative effort. Onboarding, revision cycles, and training all require internal team involvement, which will take attention away from other important projects. Similarly, fees like staffing agency markups, wire transfers, and software subscriptions can slowly add up, which will increase the overall expenses.
Businesses may set realistic budgets, make better hiring decisions, and guarantee that the remote technical writer can offer maximum value without unforeseen financial pressure by accounting for these hidden costs early on. By planning, businesses can also investigate cost-effective solutions that manage administrative duties, guarantee clear billing, and cut down on extra costs.
Remote vs in-house technical writer costs: What is more affordable?
When deciding between hiring an in-house or a remote technical writer professional, cost is generally a primary consideration. In-house technical writers will usually come with fixed benefits, salaries, equipment, office space, and software licenses. While you can gain direct oversight and instant collaboration, these additional expenses can greatly increase the total cost of employment.
On the other hand, remote technical writers will often provide flexibility and cost efficiency. You can hire talent from regions with a low cost of living, which skips high local salaries and reduces overheads like office spaces and equipment.
In the end, remote technical writers are typically less expensive, particularly for startups and small enterprises that require excellent content without having to worry about long-term financial obligations. To guarantee the greatest outcomes for your company, the decision should, nevertheless, strike a balance between cost, the necessity for collaboration, the effectiveness of communication, and project complexity.
How will working with Global Squirrels reduce the cost of hiring a remote technical writer?
Hiring a remote technical writer can save the business resources and time, but the costs can quickly add up because of agency fees, administrative overhead, and wire transfers. Working with Global Squirrels will offer a smarter alternative, which will help businesses cut down hiring expenses while also accessing pre-vetted and skilled remote technical writers. This is how partnering up with Global Squirrels will help in cutting hiring costs:
1. Access to a global talent pool
One of the primary ways we assist businesses in saving hiring costs is by allowing access to a global pool of technical writers. Instead of hiring locally and paying high wages to technical writers from expensive locations, Global Squirrels will connect you with talented technical writers from countries where the cost of living is lower, like the Philippines, Mexico, and India. By hiring a remote technical writer from these locations, businesses will be able to access highly skilled talent at a fraction of the cost when compared to hiring locally in the USA. This will reduce salaries and help you save on the overhead costs such as office space, utilities, and employee benefits.
2. EOR services
When hiring global remote technical writers, businesses will be required to pay careful attention to legal compliance, taxes, and labor laws. This could be a headache for businesses that are familiar with international employment regulations. Global Squirrels will simplify this process by providing EOR solutions, which simply means that we will handle all the legal, compliance, and administrative responsibilities for you. From drafting contracts and ensuring legal compliance to managing the payroll, Global Squirrels will take care of the tasks. Businesses will therefore be able to save money by using EOR services instead of establishing local entities, which can cost thousands of dollars.
3. Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Many staffing agencies or freelance platforms will add hidden fees or markups to the cost of hiring a technical writer. With Global Squirrels, we offer transparent pricing, which means you’ll only pay the payroll cost and a flat fee. This predictable and clear pricing structure will allow businesses to manage their budgets, thus giving them confidence that they are getting high-quality legal support at a reasonable and fair price.
4. Streamlined process for recruitment
Recruiting and onboarding a technical writer can be a time-consuming and expensive process if done internally. With Global Squirrels, we will handle the recruitment process for you. After you post a job on our portal, our platform will share three curated profiles of top technical writers with you. Our pre-screened candidates will have undergone multiple evaluations, which include verifying credentials, professional experience, and legal expertise. This will save your business the effort and time spent on advertising and reviewing profiles.
How to hire a technical writer through Global Squirrels?
If you are looking to hire a technical writer, the Orange Plan would be a great fit since it will cover recruitment and EOR/payrolling. To onboard a self-sourced talent, the Purple Plan will handle this and also take care of the payroll and benefits administration. If you prefer your talent to work from our locations, Blue Plan is the viable one. The involved steps are:
- Post the job requirements, the hiring location, the position, etc., after logging in or creating an account.
- You should receive an email notification to review three carefully selected profiles on the portal within two to five business days.
- Shortlist the best applicant for the onboarding process after conducting an interview.
- Pay the new hire’s onboarding deposit after reviewing and approving the offer letter. In this case, the payroll expense and the flat license charge are equal to the one-month employment cost.
- The technical writer will be onboarded by Global Squirrels, which will also manage HR-related tasks like benefits, payroll, and compliance.
Hiring a top technical writer does not have to be complex or expensive if the right staffing partner is chosen.
If the plan interests you, take a tour to understand the platform in detail.
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