An Amazon technical writer plays a crucial role in content creation, ensuring customers have a clear understanding of Amazon’s services. The content you develop is focused on responsible development rather than marketing, aimed at informing rather than selling.
It’s easy to understand how to use Amazon on the surface. Users create an account and list a product they want to sell or buy. But it’s far more complex once the customer gets into the service’s specifics. Is it possible to target specific buyers? Can you set a selling time limit or set up an auction?
Amazon Technical Writer Responsibilities
Understanding the basic qualifications Amazon seeks is essential. Researching these requirements helps ensure that you meet the company’s standards and align with their expectations. Here are some of the top responsiblities that Amazon technical writers handle:
1. Communicating Amazon’s Technological Advancements
One of the primary responsibilities of an Amazon technical writer is to communicate the company’s ongoing technological innovations. This involves breaking down complex, evolving systems into clear, actionable documentation that can be understood by a wide audience.
2. Supporting Various Departments Beyond E-commerce
Amazon’s scope reaches far beyond e-commerce. Depending on your role, you may be tasked with creating technical documentation for other sectors like AWS (Amazon Web Services), AI tools, or logistics systems, offering a chance to specialize in diverse areas.
3. Creating User and Developer-Focused Documentation
Depending on the project, your audience may vary from external customers using Amazon’s services to internal development teams. You might produce user guides, API documentation, software tutorials, or system architecture references. Each of these requires a tailored approach to ensure clarity and effectiveness.
4. Tailoring Responsibilities Based on Role and Rank
The responsibilities of an Amazon technical writer can vary significantly based on the job title and rank. Junior writers may focus on straightforward tasks such as product guides or FAQ documentation, while senior writers often handle more complex projects, like system-level documentation or strategic initiatives.
5. Adapting to Amazon’s Dynamic Environment
Amazon is a rapidly evolving company, and technical writers must stay up to date with the latest changes. This requires flexibility and adaptability to ensure documentation remains current and relevant as new technologies and processes are introduced.
6. Meeting Amazon’s High Standards and Expectations
To succeed in this role, understanding and meeting Amazon’s qualifications is crucial. Researching and aligning with the company’s expectations ensures that you meet their standards in terms of content accuracy, quality, and user experience.
7. Bridging Communication Gaps Between Teams
As a technical writer, you will often act as a liaison between technical teams (such as developers and engineers) and non-technical stakeholders. Your role involves translating complex technical jargon into language that can be easily understood by different audiences, ensuring smooth communication across departments.
Career Growth Opportunities for Technical Writers at Amazon
Amazon offers significant career growth opportunities for technical writers, making it an ideal environment for those looking to build a long-term career in the field.
Starting from entry-level positions, technical writers at Amazon have a clear path to progress to more senior roles, such as Senior Technical Writer, Lead Technical Writer, or Documentation Manager.
These roles involve not only writing and editing but also managing content teams, overseeing documentation strategies, and ensuring consistency across all written materials.
Beyond traditional career paths, Amazon encourages technical writers to explore related fields within the company. Many technical writers transition into roles such as Product Management, where they use their deep understanding of the product and customer needs to guide development.
Others move into UX Writing, focusing on crafting user-friendly content that enhances the user experience directly within Amazon’s platforms. Content Strategy is another avenue, where writers can influence how content is created, managed, and distributed across the organization.
Amazon’s commitment to continuous learning and development plays a pivotal role in these career advancements. The company offers various training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities designed to help technical writers expand their skill sets.
Writers are encouraged to stay updated on the latest industry trends, tools, and technologies, which not only enhances their current work but also opens doors to new career opportunities.
Technical Writer Jobs at Amazon
Amazon is an international company with several services and projects and has different job positions in several locations. Some tech writer positions are remote, some offer more flexibility, and some are diverse.
The job title usually comes with different responsibilities, required skills, and compensation. Here are some of the possible Amazon technical writer jobs.
General Technical Writer
As a general technical writer, you should be comfortable with implementing repeatable processes. Since e-commerce is a fast-paced industry, Amazon strives to standardize and automate its work. Besides writing, you should also have experience editing content. This also ties to managing projects with strict deadlines.
Requirements for the job position are:
- Experience with CMS (content management system)
- Experience using HTML and XML
- Either a bachelor’s degree or past work experience
Proposal Technical Writer
Another job position inside Amazon is proposal technical writer. Besides meeting the exact requirements, you also need solid experience writing proposals and working with graphic tools such as Adobe Illustrator. The minimum requirements are:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Five or more years of proposal writing
- Two or more years of working with graphics software such as Adobe Illustrator or similar graphics applications
As a proposal technical writer, you’ll work more with account executives and partner development managers since your primary audience will be potential partners. This doesn’t necessarily mean companies, since it can also be potential sellers looking to sell products on Amazon.
Exam Technical Writer
A somewhat unique position inside Amazon is exam technical writer. This position requires IT knowledge since you’re in charge of creating and editing AWS (Amazon Web Services) certification exams.
AWS certifications help IT professionals to prove their cloud expertise, so exams must maintain quality. Besides checking and reviewing exams, you’re responsible for updating exams to meet the latest standards.
The requirement for the job position is Bachelor’s degree in English, communication, or a related field. If you don’t have one, the alternatives are 3 or more years of technical content editing, editing exams, and managing different projects.
Responsibilities include performing quality checks, standardizing internal processes, managing schedules, providing insights, and staying updated on the most transformational technology trends in technical writing.
Senior Technical Writer
To apply for the senior position, you should have eight years of professional experience and a portfolio to prove that. Besides stellar writing and editing capabilities, you also need to possess management skills. As a content team manager, you need to ensure that technical copies are informative, clear, and concise.
A senior tech writer spends more time managing writing, editing, designing, and distribution than writing yourself. You act both as a support and manager to the delegated team. Besides ensuring top quality, you will also track key performance metrics that help you fine-tune the process.
Senior technical writers work with writers, product developers, and editors to create a consistent terminology and content system for AWS.
Although a senior technical writer doesn’t need to be an expert in web services, SEO, or web analytics, the job is much easier with basic understanding.
At Technical Writer HQ, we cover how to mast all of these roles to get a job at Amazon in our technical writing courses.
Average Amazon Technical Writer Salary
Since Amazon has offices worldwide, the pay and benefits depend on the location and position. For example, a technical writer in London might earn less or more than a technical writer in Washington.
According to Comparably, the estimated technical writer base salary at Amazon is $156,043 per year and ranges from $86,128 to $163,000. The pay includes an average bonus of $42,000 per year.
Remember that the estimated compensation and bonus consider different technical writer jobs inside Amazon and the job location. However, considering that the average technical writer’s compensation in the US is $84,944, Amazon can be a step up in many technical writers’ careers.
Additionally, since there aren’t many companies of similar size globally, it can be an opportunity to gain experience working in a high-profile firm.
Amazon aims to be an equal-opportunity employer for all job seekers. The compensation is the same regardless of the employee’s national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Amazon Employee Benefits
According to Indeed, employees review Amazon benefits at 3.5 out of 5 stars. Although they might differ according to the job location, some general work benefits are.
Comprehensive Medical Coverage
Amazon offers a variety of medical plans designed to meet the diverse needs of its employees. These plans include coverage for prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services, ensuring employees access to essential healthcare. Whether you need a basic plan or more extensive coverage, Amazon provides options that cater to different levels of healthcare requirements, allowing employees to choose a plan that best fits their individual or family needs.
Dental Care Options
Dental care is another key benefit offered by Amazon, with both basic and advanced plans available. The basic plan covers up to $1,500 in dental expenses, while the advanced plan provides up to $2,000 in coverage. These plans help employees manage the costs of routine dental care, such as cleanings and fillings, as well as more extensive procedures like orthodontics or oral surgery.
Infertility Coverage
Recognizing the importance of family planning, Amazon provides infertility coverage as part of its healthcare benefits. This coverage helps employees navigate the financial and emotional challenges associated with infertility treatments, offering support for procedures such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). By including infertility coverage in its benefits package, Amazon demonstrates its dedication to providing inclusive healthcare options that address the diverse needs of its workforce.
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Amazon’s 401(k) plan offers employees a range of retirement savings and investment options, helping them build a secure financial future. The plan includes employer matching contributions, which can significantly boost an employee’s retirement savings over time.
Paid Time Off
Paid Time Off (PTO) at Amazon varies based on job title and location, allowing for flexibility in how employees manage their work-life balance. The PTO policy provides employees with the opportunity to take time off for personal reasons, vacations, or illness, contributing to overall job satisfaction and well-being. This flexibility helps employees recharge and maintain productivity, making it a valuable aspect of Amazon’s benefits package.
Pregnancy & Parental Leave
Amazon’s Pregnancy & Parental Leave policy is designed to support new parents during one of the most important times in their lives. The policy includes up to four weeks of paid leave before childbirth and an additional ten weeks of paid leave after the birth.
Final Remarks
Working as an Amazon technical writer can be the right step in your technical writing career if you’re looking for a new job. With above-average compensation, bonuses, learning opportunities, and a diverse and inclusive workplace, there’s a lot to learn inside Amazon.
Depending on the job title you’re pursuing, you might need extra education to qualify for the job position inside the company. If you want to land a job but don’t feel you have the necessary experience, a great alternative is to take technical writing courses.
This will make you more ready for Amazon and other similar-sized companies as well.
FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions and answers about technical writing at Amazon:
What does a technical writer do?
Technical writers create product/service copies to inform customers and company team members about the given product or service. Technical writers need great writing skills and understanding of the given product since they need to turn complex technical terms into simple, easy-to-understand copies.
Is a technical writer a good career?
All companies need informed customers because the sooner they learn how to use the product, the more likely they are to pay. This is especially true in the SaaS, where customers often start as free users. Although technical writers don’t write to sell a product, they play a role in creating a relationship between the customer and the company, making them vital for creating revenue.
What makes a good technical writer?
A good technical writer can turn complex technical jargon into understandable content using as few words as possible. Although every copy requires a follow-up, a great tech writer delivers work on time and respects deadlines.
Is it necessary to have a computer science degree to become a technical writer?
While a computer science degree is not strictly necessary to become a technical writer, it can be highly beneficial. A degree provides a strong foundation in the technical concepts you’ll need to write about, making it easier to understand and document advanced topics.
However, many technical writers come from diverse educational backgrounds and gain computer science knowledge through experience, self-study, or additional coursework.
If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.
