27 Series · SOC 27-3043
Writers and Authors Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $76,910
- Median / year
- $139,870
- Top 10% earn
- +3.6%
- Growth '23–'33
- 47,940
- US workers
Writers and Authors earn a median of $76,910 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $76,910, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $44,310 (10th percentile) to $139,870 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 47,940 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($129,300), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Writers and Authors earn a median of $76,910, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 69% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #8 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.6% by 2033.
- $76,910
- Median annual wage
- Top 31%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #8 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 3.2×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $129,300. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043) pays a national median of $76,910 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $44,310 at the 10th percentile to $139,870 at the 90th, with a mean of $86,090 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 47,940 Americans work in this occupation across 44 reporting states and 137 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 13,400 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree and long-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $129,300, which is +68% above the national figure. The top metro is Waterbury-Shelton, CT at $127,350 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$76,910
per year
Median Hourly
$36.98/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$86,090
average
Employment
47,940
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Writers and Authors pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$76,910 Top 31% higher than 69% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Writers and Authors; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 27-series occupations with growth data, Writers and Authors sits on the slower-growing side at +3.6% growth and $76,910 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3.6%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
13,400
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-Job Training
Long-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Writers and Authors roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
- ▸ Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
- ▸ Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
- ▸ Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.
- ▸ Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
- ▸ Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.
- ▸ Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
- ▸ Write narrative, dramatic, lyric, or other types of poetry for publication.
- ▸ Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
- ▸ Write words to fit musical compositions, including lyrics for operas, musical plays, and choral works.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$44,310
25th Percentile
$58,230
Median
$76,910
75th Percentile
$101,950
90th Percentile
$139,870
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 44 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $129,300 | +68% above national |
| 2 | Maryland | $104,330 | +36% above national |
| 3 | Connecticut | $98,460 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Vermont | $94,430 | +23% above national |
| 5 | Louisiana | $89,520 | +16% above national |
| 6 | California | $86,480 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $85,700 | +11% above national |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $85,260 | +11% above national |
| 9 | Virginia | $85,000 | +11% above national |
| 10 | New Jersey | $81,590 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Oregon | $80,540 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $77,410 | +1% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $76,830 | same as national |
| 14 | Indiana | $75,820 | 1% below national |
| 15 | Georgia | $74,710 | 3% below national |
| 16 | Minnesota | $72,810 | 5% below national |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $71,830 | 7% below national |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $70,190 | 9% below national |
| 19 | Texas | $69,990 | 9% below national |
| 20 | Illinois | $68,220 | 11% below national |
| 21 | Florida | $68,080 | 11% below national |
| 22 | Alabama | $66,950 | 13% below national |
| 23 | Ohio | $65,930 | 14% below national |
| 24 | Kansas | $65,840 | 14% below national |
| 25 | Nebraska | $65,470 | 15% below national |
| 26 | Utah | $64,530 | 16% below national |
| 27 | West Virginia | $64,410 | 16% below national |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $64,370 | 16% below national |
| 29 | Nevada | $63,910 | 17% below national |
| 30 | North Carolina | $63,660 | 17% below national |
| 31 | Iowa | $61,010 | 21% below national |
| 32 | Tennessee | $58,870 | 23% below national |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $58,770 | 24% below national |
| 34 | Missouri | $58,140 | 24% below national |
| 35 | South Dakota | $56,700 | 26% below national |
| 36 | Idaho | $56,360 | 27% below national |
| 37 | Arizona | $55,990 | 27% below national |
| 38 | Mississippi | $54,180 | 30% below national |
| 39 | South Carolina | $51,920 | 32% below national |
| 40 | North Dakota | $50,860 | 34% below national |
| 41 | Wyoming | $49,650 | 35% below national |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,780 | 37% below national |
| 43 | Arkansas | $47,970 | 38% below national |
| 44 | Puerto Rico | $43,440 | 44% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 137 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $127,350 | +66% above national |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $118,810 | +54% above national |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $108,460 | +41% above national |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $107,700 | +40% above national |
| 5 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $107,590 | +40% above national |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $103,060 | +34% above national |
| 7 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $102,570 | +33% above national |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $98,730 | +28% above national |
| 9 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $97,160 | +26% above national |
| 10 | New Haven, CT | $94,410 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $92,690 | +21% above national |
| 12 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $90,060 | +17% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $87,560 | +14% above national |
| 14 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $87,020 | +13% above national |
| 15 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $86,340 | +12% above national |
| 16 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $85,260 | +11% above national |
| 17 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $85,020 | +11% above national |
| 18 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $84,940 | +10% above national |
| 19 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $84,130 | +9% above national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $84,130 | +9% above national |
| 21 | Colorado Springs, CO | $83,770 | +9% above national |
| 22 | Boulder, CO | $83,540 | +9% above national |
| 23 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $82,920 | +8% above national |
| 24 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $82,690 | +8% above national |
| 25 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $82,590 | +7% above national |
| 26 | Greeley, CO | $82,060 | +7% above national |
| 27 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $81,990 | +7% above national |
| 28 | Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $81,410 | +6% above national |
| 29 | Worcester, MA | $80,490 | +5% above national |
| 30 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $79,020 | +3% above national |
| 31 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $78,990 | +3% above national |
| 32 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $78,050 | +1% above national |
| 33 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $78,000 | +1% above national |
| 34 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $77,740 | +1% above national |
| 35 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,250 | same as national |
| 36 | Fresno, CA | $77,060 | same as national |
| 37 | Charlottesville, VA | $76,990 | same as national |
| 38 | Montgomery, AL | $76,710 | same as national |
| 39 | Columbus, OH | $76,490 | 1% below national |
| 40 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,470 | 1% below national |
| 41 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $76,390 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $76,120 | 1% below national |
| 43 | Baton Rouge, LA | $76,000 | 1% below national |
| 44 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,940 | 1% below national |
| 45 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $75,760 | 1% below national |
| 46 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $75,380 | 2% below national |
| 47 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $74,820 | 3% below national |
| 48 | Richmond, VA | $74,300 | 3% below national |
| 49 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $74,030 | 4% below national |
| 50 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $73,600 | 4% below national |
| 51 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $73,460 | 4% below national |
| 52 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $73,440 | 5% below national |
| 53 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $72,560 | 6% below national |
| 54 | Tallahassee, FL | $72,400 | 6% below national |
| 55 | Charleston, WV | $72,340 | 6% below national |
| 56 | Syracuse, NY | $71,520 | 7% below national |
| 57 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $70,620 | 8% below national |
| 58 | Asheville, NC | $70,280 | 9% below national |
| 59 | Glens Falls, NY | $69,320 | 10% below national |
| 60 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $69,100 | 10% below national |
| 61 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $69,100 | 10% below national |
| 62 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $68,880 | 10% below national |
| 63 | Madison, WI | $68,760 | 11% below national |
| 64 | Rochester, NY | $68,600 | 11% below national |
| 65 | Savannah, GA | $68,030 | 12% below national |
| 66 | Omaha, NE-IA | $67,390 | 12% below national |
| 67 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $67,280 | 13% below national |
| 68 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $67,230 | 13% below national |
| 69 | Medford, OR | $66,690 | 13% below national |
| 70 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $66,470 | 14% below national |
| 71 | Lancaster, PA | $65,660 | 15% below national |
| 72 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $65,630 | 15% below national |
| 73 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $65,290 | 15% below national |
| 74 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $64,900 | 16% below national |
| 75 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $64,690 | 16% below national |
| 76 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $64,520 | 16% below national |
| 77 | Birmingham, AL | $64,460 | 16% below national |
| 78 | Oklahoma City, OK | $64,100 | 17% below national |
| 79 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $64,010 | 17% below national |
| 80 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $63,910 | 17% below national |
| 81 | South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $63,900 | 17% below national |
| 82 | Tulsa, OK | $63,780 | 17% below national |
| 83 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $63,720 | 17% below national |
| 84 | Fort Wayne, IN | $63,640 | 17% below national |
| 85 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $63,270 | 18% below national |
| 86 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $63,270 | 18% below national |
| 87 | Toledo, OH | $63,090 | 18% below national |
| 88 | Knoxville, TN | $63,080 | 18% below national |
| 89 | Columbia, MO | $63,030 | 18% below national |
| 90 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $63,010 | 18% below national |
| 91 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $62,440 | 19% below national |
| 92 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $62,110 | 19% below national |
| 93 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $62,060 | 19% below national |
| 94 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $62,060 | 19% below national |
| 95 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $61,980 | 19% below national |
| 96 | Boise City, ID | $61,650 | 20% below national |
| 97 | Green Bay, WI | $61,500 | 20% below national |
| 98 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $61,470 | 20% below national |
| 99 | Winston-Salem, NC | $61,460 | 20% below national |
| 100 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $61,400 | 20% below national |
| 101 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $60,990 | 21% below national |
| 102 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $60,960 | 21% below national |
| 103 | Cleveland, OH | $60,880 | 21% below national |
| 104 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $60,700 | 21% below national |
| 105 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $60,640 | 21% below national |
| 106 | Lincoln, NE | $60,200 | 22% below national |
| 107 | Akron, OH | $59,900 | 22% below national |
| 108 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $58,870 | 23% below national |
| 109 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $58,480 | 24% below national |
| 110 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $57,600 | 25% below national |
| 111 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $57,390 | 25% below national |
| 112 | Jacksonville, FL | $56,760 | 26% below national |
| 113 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $56,340 | 27% below national |
| 114 | Bend, OR | $55,930 | 27% below national |
| 115 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $55,510 | 28% below national |
| 116 | Albuquerque, NM | $53,490 | 30% below national |
| 117 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $52,520 | 32% below national |
| 118 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $52,000 | 32% below national |
| 119 | Topeka, KS | $51,610 | 33% below national |
| 120 | Springfield, MO | $51,260 | 33% below national |
| 121 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $51,170 | 33% below national |
| 122 | Fargo, ND-MN | $50,860 | 34% below national |
| 123 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $50,720 | 34% below national |
| 124 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $49,980 | 35% below national |
| 125 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $49,890 | 35% below national |
| 126 | Iowa City, IA | $49,000 | 36% below national |
| 127 | Tucson, AZ | $47,990 | 38% below national |
| 128 | Wilmington, NC | $47,940 | 38% below national |
| 129 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $47,300 | 38% below national |
| 130 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $47,210 | 39% below national |
| 131 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $45,380 | 41% below national |
| 132 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $44,300 | 42% below national |
| 133 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $43,040 | 44% below national |
| 134 | Columbia, SC | $41,600 | 46% below national |
| 135 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $40,760 | 47% below national |
| 136 | Ann Arbor, MI | $37,330 | 51% below national |
| 137 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $34,990 | 55% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Writers and Authors make? ▼
What state pays Writers and Authors the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Writers and Authors? ▼
How dangerous is being a Writers and Authors? ▼
Is Writers and Authors a good career? ▼
How does Writers and Authors pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Writers and Authors? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Writers and Authors pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $101,950/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $129,300/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.