ISTC Survey 2025

Welcome to the work survey of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC). The purpose of this survey is to monitor qualifications, experience and remunerations of technical communicators in the UK.

For the purpose of this survey, "technical communicators in the UK" means either a technical communicator who is a UK citizen, or non-UK citizen working as a technical communicator in the UK. However, you are welcome to participate in this survey even if you do not fall into either of these categories.

By taking part in this survey you are helping to provide important data that can help the ISTC develop its policies and support the technical communications industry in the UK. The survey should take you less than 10 minutes to complete.

The survey is open to members of the ISTC and to non-members. Results will be made available to ISTC members through the ISTC’s website and publications. If you are not an ISTC member and would like to receive a copy of the survey results, please send an email to istc@istc.org.uk.

The survey is completely anonymous, and we do not retain any data that could be used to identify any individual participant.

The deadline for the survey is 31 March 2025.

Thank you for participating!

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* 1. What is your highest academic qualification?

GSCE or equivalent

A-level or equivalent

Foundation degree

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Doctorate

HNC

ONC

HND

OND

NVQ

Other (please specify)

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* 2. What is the subject of your highest qualification?

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* 3. When did you last take part as a learner in a training activity related to your work (either online or classroom-based)?

In the last 6 months

In the last 2 years

More than 2 years ago

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* 4. What is your employment status?
Please select all that apply.

Full time employee

Part time employee

Self employed (may have multiple concurrent clients, often work for clients directly)

Contractor (may work for one client at a time on a fixed contract, often through agencies)

Employee on fixed-duration contract

Student

Job seeker

Retired

Other

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* 5. How many years have you worked as a technical communicator?

Less than 1 year

1–3 years

4–6 years

7–9 years

10–12 years

13–15 years

16–19 years

20 years or more

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* 6. What is your job title?
Please select all that apply.

Business analyst

Editor

Manager

Project leader/manager

Technical writer/author/communicator

Documentation developer/specialist; Documentation consultant

Information designer

Content strategist

Training specialist

Usability specialist

Webmaster/Website manager

Other, please specify:

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* 7. How many technical communicators do you typically work with?

1 (just me)

2–5

6-10

11–15

16 or more

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* 8. What type of work do you do?
Please select all that apply

Business analysis

Content strategy

Documentation – paper based

Documentation – online (intranet content; PDFs etc.)

Editing/Quality Assurance

Indexing

Management – supervising other technical communicators

Marketing / messaging

Online help – HTML help

Online help - Webhelp

Process mapping

Training material – printed manuals, workbooks etc.

Training material – online content (demonstrations, videos, simulations etc.)

Translation, localisation

Usability

Web pages (developing content)

Other (please specify)

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* 9. What sector(s) do you typically work in?

Engineering

Information technology

Aerospace

Defence

Manufacturing

Science

Education

Energy

Banking/finance

Marketing

Research/development

Construction

Medicine/health

Automotive

Press/publicity

Consumer products

Government

Telecommunications

Broadcast media

Accountancy

Public sector

Other (please specify)

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* 10. Where do you generally work?

UK and other countries

Republic of Ireland

Other EU country

Other non-EU European country

Any other country

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* 11. If you answered "UK" to the previous question, please indicate the region of the UK where you generally work.

Orkney & Shetland

Highlands & Elean Siar

Grampian

Strathclyde

Central, Tayside & Fife

South West Scotland, Lothian Borders

Northern Ireland

Wales

North West England

North East England

Yorkshire & Humber

West Midlands

East Midlands

East of England

South West England

London & South East England

More than one region (for example, a contractor working on multiple projects, or an employee of a national organisation with projects in different locations)

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* 12. For employees only: What is your annual gross salary? If you work part-time, please select the full-time equivalent salary.

Less than £15,000

£15,001–20,000

£20,001–25,000

£25,001–30,000

£30,001–35,000

£35,001–40,000

£40,001–45,000

£45,001–50,000

More than £50,000

I work abroad, and salary levels are not comparable

If you work part-time, please indicate your average working pattern (for example, "2 days per week" or "10 days per month").

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* 13. For contractors/self-employed only: In the last 3 months, what has been your average hourly rate for technical communication work?"

Less than £15

£15-20

£21-25

£26-30

£31-35

£36-40

£41-45

£46-50

£51-55

£56-60

More than £60

I work abroad, and rates are not comparable

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* 14. For employees only: Are you paid for overtime worked?

Yes

If you are only paid in some circumstances, or there is some other arrangement to compensate you for overtime (for example, time in lieu), please specify.

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* 15. For employees only: What additional benefits does your employer offer, if any? (Select all that apply.)

I receive no benefits

I can choose from a range of benefits

Pension scheme

Company or team performance bonus

Personal performance bonus

Company car

Gym

Mobile phone

Flexible hours

Subsidised canteen

Private health care

Share options scheme

Health club

Staff discount

Crèche

Subsidised travel

Other (please specify)

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* 16. For employees only: Have you changed jobs in the past 12 months?

Yes

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* 17. For employees only: Have you had a pay rise in the last 12 months?

Yes

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* 18. Where did you hear of this survey?

Email from the ISTC

ISTC Newsletter (InfoPlus)

ISTC website

ISTC forums

Twitter

Email from a 3rd party (colleague, employer, agency)

3rd party communication channel (for example, Write the Docs community, Tekom, Adobe)

Other (please specify)

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* 19. Gender

Female

Male

Prefer not to say / not comfortable with either option

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* 20. Age

19 years or under

20-29 years

30-39 years

40-49 years

50-59 years

60-69 years

70 years or over

Prefer not to say

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* 21. Are you a member of the ISTC, and if so, what is your membership grade?

Associate

Fellow

Member

Entry level (was Junior)

Student

Not a member

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* 22. If you are a Member or Fellow of the ISTC, do you ever use MISTC or FISTC after your name?

Yes

What are the circumstances in which you do use MISTC or FISTC?
If you never use either, please share why not...

Question Title

* 1. What is your highest academic qualification?

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* 2. What is the subject of your highest qualification?

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* 3. When did you last take part as a learner in a training activity related to your work (either online or classroom-based)?

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* 4. What is your employment status?Please select all that apply.

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* 5. How many years have you worked as a technical communicator?

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* 6. What is your job title?Please select all that apply.

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* 7. How many technical communicators do you typically work with?

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* 8. What type of work do you do?Please select all that apply

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* 9. What sector(s) do you typically work in?

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* 10. Where do you generally work?

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* 11. If you answered "UK" to the previous question, please indicate the region of the UK where you generally work.

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* 12. For employees only: What is your annual gross salary? If you work part-time, please select the full-time equivalent salary.

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* 13. For contractors/self-employed only: In the last 3 months, what has been your average hourly rate for technical communication work?"

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* 14. For employees only: Are you paid for overtime worked?

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* 15. For employees only: What additional benefits does your employer offer, if any? (Select all that apply.)

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* 16. For employees only: Have you changed jobs in the past 12 months?

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* 17. For employees only: Have you had a pay rise in the last 12 months?

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* 18. Where did you hear of this survey?

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* 19. Gender

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* 20. Age

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* 21. Are you a member of the ISTC, and if so, what is your membership grade?

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* 22. If you are a Member or Fellow of the ISTC, do you ever use MISTC or FISTC after your name?

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* 23. Do you belong to any other technical communication association?

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* 24. We welcome any comments you have on this survey.

* 4. What is your employment status?
Please select all that apply.

* 6. What is your job title?
Please select all that apply.

* 8. What type of work do you do?
Please select all that apply