Writers and Authors in the Lansing-East Lansing Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Writers and Authors pay in Lansing-East Lansing, MI at a median of $61,980 per year ($29.80/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $76,910, the metro estimate is 19% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 30 writers and authors are employed across the Lansing-East Lansing MSA in SOC 27-3043.

The Lansing-East Lansing pay distribution spans from $53,310 at the 10th percentile to $102,690 at the 90th, a 1.9× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $59,230 and the 75th at $92,370, so half of Lansing-East Lansing-based writers and authors earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Lansing-East Lansing, MI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide MI estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.