Alt Text Writer Jobs And Web Accessibility Careers

Alt text writer jobs do exist, but they are usually freelance, contract or part of a wider role such as content editor, digital archivist or accessibility specialist, rather than a full time post on their own. Writing image descriptions is a good way into the field, and it leads naturally to testing, auditing and engineering work.

This page explains what the work looks like, which skills employers check, what comes up in interviews, and the kinds of organizations that hire. It names employer types rather than job sites, because listings move around.

Quick facts

Typical setup
Freelance batches or contracts, often through an agency or publisher
Core skill
Short, context aware descriptions that follow WCAG 1.1.1
Next steps up
Accessibility tester, specialist, auditor or engineer
Useful credentials
IAAP CPACC or WAS, or the free Trusted Tester program
Who hires
Publishers, universities, museums, retailers, banks, government and consultancies
Best proof
A portfolio of before and after samples, not a certificate alone

What alt text writer jobs involve

The work is writing the text alternative that a screen reader reads in place of an image. The amount and type of writing varies a lot by employer:

Online shops need short, consistent descriptions for thousands of product photos, often from a style guide.
Education publishers need descriptions for diagrams, maps, charts and science images, where you must know the subject and decide what the learner needs.
Museums, libraries and archives describe collections in more depth, sometimes with a short alt and a longer description.
News and social media teams need fast, accurate descriptions under deadline.

A growing part of the work is reviewing descriptions produced by software that guesses what a photo shows, and rewriting the vague or wrong ones. To see the standard you will be held to, read how to write alt text and our alt text examples.

Alt text writing services vs in-house roles

Type of work	Who hires	What you deliver	Usual setup
Freelance alt text writing	Agencies, small publishers, retailers	Batches of descriptions in a spreadsheet or content system	Per batch or per hour
Image description specialist	Education and academic publishers	Alt text plus long descriptions for complex figures	Contract or staff
Content editor with accessibility duties	Universities, councils, charities, large companies	Alt text, headings, accessible documents and training	Staff
Document remediation	Consultancies, government suppliers	Tagged, accessible PDFs and office files	Contract or staff

Companies that sell alt text writing services usually keep a pool of freelancers, review their work and hand it to the client. That review step is where you learn the most, so ask for feedback.

Web accessibility specialist and engineer roles

Most people who start with alt text move toward one of these roles.

Accessibility tester or QA analyst. Checks pages and apps against WCAG with tools, keyboard and screen readers, and logs issues.
Web accessibility specialist or auditor. Runs full audits, writes reports and conformance documents, trains teams and advises on fixes. See accessibility audit for what that work produces.
Web accessibility engineer. Builds and fixes components, design systems and test automation. Large tech companies that make phones, browsers and operating systems also hire engineers to work on the accessibility features of the platform itself, such as built-in screen readers and voice control. Those roles ask for strong programming skills as well as WCAG knowledge.
Accessibility designer or program lead. Shapes designs, policy, procurement and the overall plan.

Skills employers check

Clear, concise writing and the judgment to know what matters in an image.
Working knowledge of WCAG A and AA, especially non-text content, structure, contrast, keyboard and forms.
Comfort with HTML, and for engineers, CSS, JavaScript and ARIA.
Hands-on use of at least one desktop and one mobile screen reader.
Writing issue reports a developer can act on: where, what, why it fails, how to fix.
Patience and tact, because much of the job is persuading busy people.

Lived experience of disability, or close work with disabled users, is valued by many employers. Mention it if you are comfortable doing so.

Web accessibility interview questions to expect

Interviews for these roles usually mix theory, a practical test and a writing task. Common questions:

What are the four WCAG principles, and what is the difference between levels A, AA and AAA? (See levels A, AA and AAA.)
When should an image have an empty alt attribute?
Write alt text for this chart, this logo link and this product photo.
What is the first rule of ARIA, and when would you use aria-label instead of aria-labelledby? (See ARIA labels.)
How would you test a modal dialog for keyboard and screen reader users?
A scan reported 300 issues. How do you decide what to fix first?
What contrast ratio does body text need?
How should a site announce "Added to cart" without moving focus?

For a practical test you may get a broken page to audit in an hour. Narrate your method out loud: interviewers care about how you think.

Where alt text writer jobs and accessibility roles are found

Search for the work by the type of employer, and use several search terms, because job titles vary: accessibility, WCAG, Section 508, alt text, image description, digital inclusion, accessible content.

Educational publishers and university presses, for image descriptions.
Universities and schools, in digital teams and disability services.
Museums, libraries and archives with online collections.
Government departments and their suppliers, where laws require accessible services.
Banks, insurers and other regulated firms with legal duties to meet WCAG.
Online retailers with large product catalogs.
Accessibility consultancies and digital agencies that sell audits and alt text writing services.
Software and platform companies with dedicated accessibility teams.

Many roles are remote. Direct approaches to consultancies and publishers often work better than waiting for a listing.

Getting started without experience

Volunteer for a charity or community group whose site needs alt text and basic fixes, and ask permission to describe the work in your portfolio. Fix small accessibility issues in open source projects. Write short case studies: the image, the context, your description and why you chose it.

Some freelance listings ask you to pay for training or a starter kit before you can work. Genuine employers do not charge you to apply. Also, do not put a client's private images in a public portfolio without written permission.

When you are ready for a credential, compare the options on our training and certification page. The IAAP site, accessibilityassociation.org, also lists events and a career center run by the association.

Questions people ask

Are freelance alt text writing jobs real?

Yes, publishers, retailers and agencies pay freelancers to write image descriptions. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay a fee before you start, which genuine employers do not do.

How much do alt text writers earn?

Pay varies with the type of image, the volume, the turnaround and how much subject knowledge is needed. Complex educational images pay more than simple product photos. Ask for the rate per batch and the review process before you accept.

Do I need a certificate for web accessibility jobs?

Not always. Some employers, especially in government and consulting, ask for CPACC, WAS or Trusted Tester. Many care more about a portfolio of real work and a good practical test.

What does a web accessibility engineer do?

An engineer builds accessible components, fixes defects found in audits, adds automated checks to the build pipeline and helps designers and developers get it right first time. At platform companies they may also work on built-in assistive technology.

Is alt text writing a good side job?

It can be, if you write clearly and like detail. The volume is uneven, so many writers combine it with editing, testing or document work.

What do web accessibility specialists do day to day?

They test sites and apps, write audit reports, answer questions from developers and designers, train staff and review new designs. In smaller teams the specialist also writes the accessibility statement and handles user feedback.