Your degree can clear the initial screen for a technical writer job while you keep working, but it won’t prove you can produce documents people can use. An online English bachelor’s for technical writing makes sense when the curriculum builds those skills and you leave with samples, field knowledge, and a realistic path to employer review. Compare bachelor's programs before you enroll.
Key Takeaways
- Technical writer is the clearest career target supported by this degree.
- Strong programs teach documentation, editing, audience analysis, and communication about technical subjects.
- A portfolio and knowledge of a technical field can matter as much as the English major printed on the diploma.
The best fit is a program that combines advanced writing with practice in technical communication. A general English degree may still work, but you may need electives, independent projects, or job experience to close the gap. Review the curriculum course by course rather than trusting the degree title. Look for assignments that result in usable samples, such as instructions, process documents, or edited material, because those give employers something concrete to assess. Courses focused only on literary analysis may strengthen your writing without showing that you can work within technical constraints, follow a subject expert’s guidance, or write for a specific audience.
Technical Writing Jobs an Online English Bachelor’s Can Open
Technical writer is the most direct job target. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that these workers typically need a bachelor’s degree, and employers generally prefer English, communications, journalism, or a related field. That makes an English degree relevant rather than incidental, especially when the curriculum has a technical or professional writing track.
The degree clears an academic screen; it does not prove full job readiness. Employers may still judge applicants by their subject knowledge, writing samples, editing skill, and ability to gather accurate information. In practice, that means the degree and the portfolio do separate jobs: the degree shows preparation at the academic level, while the portfolio lets an employer see how you handle information, structure, and revision.
Look beyond the major name when reading job listings. Technical communication programs may prepare students for the same core work as an English program with the right concentration. The more useful question is whether your coursework and portfolio match the documents an employer needs. A course that strengthens technical or professional writing can matter more to this job target than a broad list of English electives, particularly if you have limited experience in science, software, health, or engineering. GetEducated’s guide to how employers assess online bachelor's degrees explains why degree format is only one part of that review.
- Good fit: You enjoy revising complex material until it becomes clear and accurate.
- Possible fit with added study: You have strong writing skills but little knowledge of science, software, health, or engineering. Additional subject study can help you understand the material well enough to explain it without flattening important details.
- Weak fit: You want a writing career with little research, editing, or contact with subject experts. Technical writing depends on that work, even when the final document reads simply.
GetEducated's Picks
- American Public University System Bachelor of Arts in English
- Southern New Hampshire University Bachelor of Arts in English / Professional Writing
- Arizona State University Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication
Courses That Build Credible Technical Writing Skills
A useful curriculum moves past literature surveys and general composition. One public university’s official degree page lists a fully online English program requiring 120 total credits, with advanced technical writing and science writing among its courses. That combination matters because the Bureau of Labor Statistics says knowledge of science or engineering can benefit technical writing applicants. It also gives you a way to judge an English degree beyond its title: look at how much of the curriculum produces work that resembles the documents technical writers actually prepare.
Another university’s fully online curriculum names documentation, technical publication, and technical communication for virtual workspaces. Those subjects connect more directly to technical writer duties than a program built almost entirely around literary analysis. A general English major can still work, but its elective space must carry more of the career preparation. If your program offers only one technical writing course, the remaining choices matter: editing, digital writing, research, or a subject-area course can fill gaps that the core curriculum leaves open.
Software skill also deserves attention. The Labor Department’s O*NET database found Microsoft Office in 24% of technical writer job postings, Microsoft Excel in 20%, Microsoft PowerPoint in 20%, and Microsoft Word in 15%. These figures do not make office software the whole job. They show that employers expect writers to work inside common business tools while handling research, review, and publication. A course that asks you to revise documents, organize information, or present findings in those tools gives you stronger evidence of working ability than a software list on a program page.
- Prioritize advanced technical writing, editing, documentation, and writing for digital systems.
- Add coursework in a subject area tied to the employers you may pursue.
- Save polished assignments that show research, revision, structure, and plain language.
- Check whether team projects require feedback from people with different areas of expertise.
Those assignments can also help you see whether the program’s writing practice is broad enough. A polished essay may show clear prose, but a technical writing portfolio should make the structure, audience, revision process, and purpose easy to identify. Team projects add another useful test: they show whether you can respond to subject-matter feedback instead of treating writing as a solo exercise. You can also compare the broader online computer science and information technology bachelor's programs if you want more technical depth than an English curriculum provides.
English and Technical Communication Degree Options
Program titles reveal where the curriculum is likely to place its weight, but they do not settle the decision. An English degree may offer more work in rhetoric, editing, and close reading, which can help if you want a broad foundation and plan to shape the technical side through electives. A technical communication degree signals a narrower career direction, while English with professional writing may sit between those choices. Read the required courses before assuming either label is better.
| School and Program | Signal From the Degree Title | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| American Public University System offers the Bachelor of Arts in English. | Broad English study | Technical writing electives and portfolio projects |
| Southern New Hampshire University offers the Bachelor of Arts in English / Professional Writing. | English with a professional writing focus | Documentation, editing, and technical subject options |
| Arizona State University offers the Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication. | Direct technical communication focus | Required projects, software, and subject-area choices |
The comparison shows three legitimate routes: broad English, English with professional writing, and technical communication. None guarantees a job. The stronger choice is the one that lets you graduate with relevant samples and enough technical knowledge to understand the products, systems, or research you will explain. That makes the course sequence more useful than the title alone: two programs can carry similar names while giving you very different opportunities to practice research, revision, and explanation.
Before applying, open each course list and check for concrete requirements. Course names vary, so read the descriptions rather than searching only for the words technical writing. A course labeled editing may focus on literary work, while another may require document review or audience-specific revisions that translate more directly to technical communication. The distinction matters if you need finished samples for a portfolio instead of coursework that stays theoretical.
- Does the program require advanced writing and editing?
- Can you study a technical subject through electives or a concentration?
- Will major assignments produce portfolio samples?
- Does the program teach collaboration and document review?
Find Your Online Computer Science & IT Degree
Narrow 2,578 accredited online Computer Science & IT degree programs to find the perfect fit.
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Pay, Hiring Outlook, and Employer Fit
Technical writing can pay well, but the labor market is not expanding quickly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that technical writers earned a median annual wage of $90,390 in May 2025. Median pay is the midpoint for workers across experience levels, so it gives you a useful view of the occupation without telling you what a new graduate will earn. Treat it as a benchmark for evaluating the field, not as a starting-salary promise.
The same agency projects 1% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings each year. Many openings can come from workers leaving the occupation rather than from newly created positions, which makes the hiring outlook more about replacement demand than rapid expansion. A focused portfolio, technical subject knowledge, and experience working with real documents can help you compete for those openings. They also give you something concrete to discuss when your degree title alone does not explain what you can do.
Employer fit depends on what you can show. A candidate with a general English degree and relevant samples may be stronger than a technical communication graduate whose work is vague or unfinished. The reverse problem matters, too: a polished essay portfolio does not automatically prove that you can write instructions, organize technical information, or manage review comments. Your coursework should therefore produce samples that resemble the work you intend to pursue, rather than leaving you with writing that demonstrates only academic analysis.
Job postings in your target field can serve as a curriculum check before you enroll. Record the requested document types, software, and subject knowledge, then compare that list with the required courses and the work you would be able to include in a portfolio. If a program covers broad writing but leaves technical tools or workplace documents to you, account for that extra learning before comparing its cost with a more targeted degree. Readers considering a more technical major can also review jobs linked to an online computer science bachelor's before deciding which side of the writing and technology divide fits them.
- Choose English when you want broad writing study and can add technical courses.
- Choose professional writing when the required courses include workplace documents and editing.
- Choose technical communication when you want the degree title and curriculum aimed more directly at technical content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become a technical writer with an online english degree?
An English bachelor’s can meet the usual education requirement for technical writing roles. Your chances improve when the program includes technical writing courses and you graduate with relevant work samples that show how you communicate information for a specific audience.
Is english or technical communication better for technical writing?
Technical communication offers the more direct label, which may make the degree’s focus easier to understand. English can be equally useful when its curriculum includes professional writing, editing, documentation, and study in a technical subject. The course list matters more than the title alone.
Will employers accept an online bachelor’s degree?
Online delivery does not replace the normal employer review. Employers may examine the degree, school, subject knowledge, experience, portfolio, and ability to explain complex information accurately. The format can explain how you studied, but your samples and preparation show what you can produce.
Do technical writers need to know how to code?
Not every role requires coding. Job needs depend on the product and industry, but knowledge of the technical subject can make it easier to interview experts, understand source material, and catch errors. The useful preparation depends on the documents and products involved.
What should a technical writing portfolio contain?
Use polished work that shows clear instructions, sound organization, careful editing, and control of technical detail. Include context explaining the audience, purpose, and revisions behind each sample. A collection of unrelated class assignments gives less evidence than work selected to show the kind of documentation you want to create.
Can a general english major lead to technical writing?
It can, but inspect the elective list. You may need professional writing courses, technical study, independent projects, or work experience to build the skills missing from the major. Those additions can make the degree more useful for a technical writing application, but they also affect your schedule and the total work required.
Does a technical writing degree guarantee a job?
No degree guarantees employment. Hiring depends on the employer’s field, the applicant pool, your portfolio, technical knowledge, and how well your experience matches the documents involved. An English degree gives you a relevant foundation, while your samples and subject preparation help employers judge whether that foundation fits their work.
Is technical writing a growing career?
The federal outlook above shows slow growth rather than rapid expansion. Openings still occur, so targeted preparation matters more than relying on broad demand alone. A portfolio aimed at the employers and subject areas you want to pursue gives your application a clearer connection to the available work.
How can I gain technical knowledge while studying english?
Use electives, a minor, workplace projects, or focused independent study. Pick a subject area connected to the employers you plan to approach rather than collecting unrelated courses. This approach lets your writing samples support the technical knowledge you want employers to see, especially if the major itself leaves that subject open.