Salaries for New Prof/Tech Writers with Hard Science Minor?

[Zimmerman,Donald]

Our department--a department of journalism and technical communication--has required 21 credits (or a minor) in a subject area outside of our department since the early 1970s. I often advise students to go beyond the 21 credits, if possible. Some students have double majored--often in agricultural fields (CSU is a land grant university).

For students in the technical/specialized communication sequence, the options have been agriculture, computer science, engineering, environmental, natural resources, food science,fashion and clothing design, business, health or medical communication, sports, or a niche area that has need of technical/specialized communicators. That combination has made our graduates highly marketable. When busineses, companies, or organizations have the choice between two candidates with about equal qualifications, the person trained in communication with specialization in the subject matter relevant to the hiring organization usually wins. The advantage being they have good insights into the subject specializations and can work more easily with the subject matter specialists from that organization/business.

Further, I advise students to not be a one-media person. That advice comes from the 1960s when I was working on my MS in Technical Journalism at Kansas State University. Dr. Lowell Brandner, editor for K-State's College of Agriculture, told me, "Don't be a one media person!"  He was 40-50 years ahead of his time. I found his advice stellar. It has served me well throughout my career.

In a related example, I'm also advising a student in our public relations concentration. He's into home aquariums, raising fish, etc... So I've been advising him to complete a sequence of courses that will give him a better understanding of (1) business operations and (2) biology and fisheries. The pet industry is multi-million dollar business; companies will find few people with both communication and biology/fisheries backgrounds a hot hire.

We haven't kept salary data on hires. That said, students have often shared their beginning salaries. To my surprise, students who have had a computer background and who have applied for positions at the major high-tech companies, have often entered the field with salary averages near the STC national averages. Graduates of our MS in Technical Communication often land higher salaries.


Don z.

FYI--I'm strange duck--my BS is in wildlife biology, MS in technical journalism, both from K-State, and then a Ph.D. in mass communication (empirical social sciences relevant to communication)from the University of Wisconsin Madison (K-State & UW are land grant universities).  Such a strange mix has served me well in my career.


Don Zimmerman, Professor
Journalism & Technical Communication
Center for Research on Communication and Technologies
C-229 Clark Bldg.
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1785
Telephone 970-491-5674
Fax  970-491-2908
E-mail Don.Zimmerman at ColoState.Edu