What types of STEM jobs require good writing skills?

Hi Chloe,

You enjoy communicating and have writing ability. You are considering career alternatives and want to select the one that best matches your interests and abilities. Careers that might be open to you include technical writing, creative writing, grant-writing, journalism and copy writing at an advertising agency.

Technical Writers
Technical writers produce instruction manuals for consumers. They work in diverse industries, including computing and engineering. Aspiring technical writers need a college degree and experience in technical subjects. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual wage for a technical writer in 2010 was $63,280. Employment is expected to grow by 17 percent during 2010 to 2020, compared to a 14 percent average for all occupations.

Writers and Authors
Writers and authors develop original written content for books and periodicals, film and television scripts and online publications. They work in various locations. Most writers and authors work full time and are self-employed. A bachelor's degree is usually required for an entry-level salaried position. Job applicants need excellent writing skills and proficiency with computer word-processing. The median annual salary for writers and authors was $55,420 in 2010. The growth outlook was 6 percent for 2010 to 2020.

Grant Writers
Grant writers prepare proposals and conduct related research. They normally work for nonprofit organizations. Part of their work is learning the requirements of potential funding sources, which might be corporations, other nonprofit organizations or government entities. They compose proposals that match the guidelines of funding sources. Grant writers are expected to have bachelor's degrees in communications, English or similar majors. Grant writers can specialize in a field such as health care if they have a relevant educational background. Some colleges give certificates in grant-writing. Grant writers earn a median annual salary of $55,727.

Journalists
Reporters and correspondents write about news and events happening internationally, nationally and locally. They report for newspapers, magazines, radio and television and for online platforms. The median annual salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $34,530 in 2010. The outlook is for an 8 percent decline from 2010 to 2020. The reason for the decline is the consolidation of news organizations, the decrease in newspaper readership and a drop in the number of viewers of many television news shows. Aspiring reporters and correspondents should have a bachelor's in journalism or communications and experience as an intern or on a college newspaper.

Advertising Copywriters
Copywriters help to create advertising. The copywriter writes the "copy," or words, of the advertising message. They write captions, headlines and text for print advertisements and scripts for commercials on television and radio. They work for advertising agencies or for companies that create their own ads in-house. Copywriters are either salaried or freelance. The educational requirement is for a college degree with courses in writing, marketing, business, journalism or communication. Copywriters work in offices, on commercial-production sites and at graphic design firms. The annual median salary is $54,410, with an expected growth rate of 6 percent.

Source: http://work.chron.com/jobs-involve-writing-8205.html

Good luck in your choices!!

STEM jobs are kind of a tough one with writing because if you are looking to write in this area, you really need to some good knowledge of STEM fields. So, what you need to figure out is what STEM area are you the most interested in, and then go on from there. Make sure you talk to people who are in these same fields about what they do and ask them about how your writing skills can help in their fields.