---
title: "Move to a tech hub city to find a job in technical writing (TW Job)"
date: 2009-12-24
description: "How to get a job in technical writing 1.0 Introduction to getting a job in technical writing (TW..."
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/24/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-6-move-to-a-tech-city/index.html
---

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# Move to a tech hub city to find a job in technical writing (TW Job)

1. [1.0 Introduction to getting a job in technical writing (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/22/how-to-get-a-job-in-technical-writing-a-7-step-guide-for-students/)
2. [1.1 Learn the basics of technical writing (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/18/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-1-learn-the-basics-of-technical-writing/)
3. [1.2 Get real experience doing technical writing (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/19/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-2-get-real-experience-doing-technical-writing/)
4. [1.3 Learn some tools (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/20/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-3-learn-some-tools/)
5. [1.4 Put together a portfolio (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/21/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-4-put-together-a-portfolio/)
6. [1.5 Start a blog (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/23/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-5-start-a-blog/)
7. 1.6 → Move to a tech hub city to find a job in technical writing (TW Job)
8. [1.7 Volunteer for a position in the STC or other organization (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/25/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-step-7-volunteer-for-a-position-in-the-stc/)
9. [1.8 Podcast on getting a job in technical writing (TW Job)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/12/26/get-a-job-in-technical-writing-podcast/)

If you're a student, you're probably young. You're almost out of college. Where are you going to live? If you want a job in technical writing, you probably need to live in a major city. Most technical writing jobs are located in places where there are IT companies. The more IT companies, the more technical writing jobs.

[Indeed.com](http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends/information-technology-industry) shows you trends for IT jobs by location.

![Locations where the most IT jobs are posted](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/indeed_top_job_locations-580x6001.jpg)

It's no secret here. The top locations are New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, D.C., Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Austin, and Los Angeles -- all major cities.

Last year, Doug Davis [wrote an article](https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/15/post-in-business-columns-of-whats-host-in-stc-by-proedit-guy/) about where the most technical writing jobs are. He identifies a similar list of cities:

> San Jose, California ( Silicon Valley)
> Boston, Massachusetts
> Seattle, Washington
> Washington, D.C.
> Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
> Chicago, Illinois
> Atlanta, Georgia
> Denver, Colorado
> New York, New York
> Houston, Texas
> Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
> Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Portland, Oregon
> Los Angeles/Anaheim, California
> Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Research Triangle)

The most recent [STC Salary survey database (from 2008)](http://www.stc.org/stcmembers/salary-database.asp?SSOToken=B%2barXOsq%2bPlG02Dxo3udMYbdWUQ%3d) maps a geographic distribution of technical writers and finds the following:

> The states with the most technical writers are California, Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia, Michigan and Maryland. Only Wyoming seems to have not reported technical writers.

![Where the technical writing jobs are in the U.S.](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/salary_maps-600x4641.jpg)

According to U.S. News, the [10 best places for tech jobs](http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2009/09/15/10-best-places-for-tech-jobs.html) are Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Huntsville Alabama, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

I recommend moving to a major city that appeals to you. If you're really adventurous, you could even move to India. But seriously, location matters. I know that I'll never live in a rural area such as Wyoming because there aren't many technical writing jobs there, as beautiful as Wyoming is.

Moving to a new location, however, is harder than it looks. Rarely will a company hire you from afar. When I was living in Florida looking for a job in Utah, the remote location turned recruiters and employers off immediately. Fortunately my wife's family is in Utah, so while I was vacationing in Utah, I interviewed for a handful of positions here. Then it wasn't such a problem that I was currently residing in Florida, and a good company eventually offered me a job.

Note: If you think moving to a new city is difficult fresh out of college, try uprooting yourself with three kids and a mortgage payment on a house in a recessed economy. Also, forget about landing that contract position in another state and working remotely from home – it just doesn't happen with entry-level writers.

However you manage to do it, go where the jobs are.