diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/validators.py b/pygmt/helpers/validators.py
index a91205809da..94916eac1f5 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/validators.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/validators.py
@@ -3,27 +3,51 @@
 """
 
 import warnings
+from typing import Literal
 
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 
 
-def validate_output_table_type(output_type, outfile=None):
+def validate_output_table_type(
+    output_type: Literal["pandas", "numpy", "file"], outfile: str | None = None
+) -> Literal["pandas", "numpy", "file"]:
     """
     Check if the ``output_type`` and ``outfile`` parameters are valid.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    output_type : str
-        The type for a table output. Valid values are "file", "numpy", and
-        "pandas".
-    outfile : str
-        The file name for the output table file. Required if
-        ``output_type="file"``.
+    output_type
+        Desired output type of tabular data. Valid values are ``"pandas"``,
+        ``"numpy"`` and ``"file"``.
+    outfile
+        File name for saving the result data. Required if ``output_type`` is ``"file"``.
+        If specified, ``output_type`` will be forced to be ``"file"``.
 
     Returns
     -------
     str
-        The original or corrected output type.
+        The original or updated output type.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> validate_output_table_type(output_type="pandas")
+    'pandas'
+    >>> validate_output_table_type(output_type="numpy")
+    'numpy'
+    >>> validate_output_table_type(output_type="file", outfile="output-fname.txt")
+    'file'
+    >>> validate_output_table_type(output_type="invalid-type")
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+    pygmt.exceptions.GMTInvalidInput: Must specify 'output_type' either as 'file', ...
+    >>> validate_output_table_type("file", outfile=None)
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+    pygmt.exceptions.GMTInvalidInput: Must specify 'outfile' for output_type='file'.
+    >>> with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+    ...     validate_output_table_type("pandas", outfile="not-none.txt")
+    ...     assert len(w) == 1
+    'file'
     """
     if output_type not in ["file", "numpy", "pandas"]:
         raise GMTInvalidInput(