Writers and Authors salary

The median pay for writers and authors in the United States is $76,910 a year. About 47,940 people hold this job.

Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.

How to become: education, skills and job outlook

Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities

By state

• District of Columbia $129,300
• Maryland $104,330
• Connecticut $98,460
• Vermont $94,430
• Louisiana $89,520
• California $86,480
• Washington $85,700
• Massachusetts $85,260
• Virginia $85,000
• New Jersey $81,590
• Oregon $80,540
• Pennsylvania $77,410
• Colorado $76,830
• Indiana $75,820
• Georgia $74,710
• Minnesota $72,810
• New Hampshire $71,830
• Rhode Island $70,190
• Texas $69,990
• Illinois $68,220
• Florida $68,080
• Alabama $66,950
• Ohio $65,930
• Kansas $65,840
• Nebraska $65,470
• Utah $64,530
• West Virginia $64,410
• Wisconsin $64,370
• Nevada $63,910
• North Carolina $63,660
• Iowa $61,010
• Tennessee $58,870
• Oklahoma $58,770
• Missouri $58,140
• South Dakota $56,700
• Idaho $56,360
• Arizona $55,990
• Mississippi $54,180
• South Carolina $51,920
• North Dakota $50,860
• Kentucky $48,780
• Arkansas $47,970

By metro area

• Waterbury, CT $127,350
• San Jose, CA $118,810
• Washington, DC $108,460
• Santa Rosa, CA $107,700
• Bridgeport, CT $103,060
• Seattle, WA $98,730
• Hartford, CT $97,160
• New Haven, CT $94,410
• Trenton, NJ $90,060
• Portland, OR $87,560
• Baltimore, MD $87,020
• San Luis Obispo, CA $86,340
• Boston, MA $85,260
• Burlington, VT $85,020
• Norwich, CT $84,940
• Durham, NC $84,130
• Philadelphia, PA $84,130
• Colorado Springs, CO $83,770
• Boulder, CO $83,540
• Oxnard, CA $82,920
• Sacramento, CA $82,690
• San Diego, CA $82,590
• Greeley, CO $82,060
• Atlanta, GA $81,990
• Worcester, MA $80,490
• New Orleans, LA $79,020
• Riverside, CA $78,990
• Albany, NY $78,050
• Charleston, SC $78,000
• Harrisburg, PA $77,740
• Fresno, CA $77,060
• Charlottesville, VA $76,990
• Montgomery, AL $76,710
• Columbus, OH $76,490
• Minneapolis, MN $76,470
• Salt Lake City, UT $76,390
• Houston, TX $76,120
• Baton Rouge, LA $76,000
• Chicago, IL $75,940
• Detroit, MI $75,760
• Austin, TX $75,380
• Santa Maria, CA $74,820
• Richmond, VA $74,300
• San Antonio, TX $74,030
• Bakersfield, CA $73,600
• Virginia Beach, VA $73,460
• Deltona, FL $73,440
• Tampa, FL $72,560
• Tallahassee, FL $72,400
• Charleston, WV $72,340
• Syracuse, NY $71,520
• Providence, RI $70,620
• Asheville, NC $70,280
• Glens Falls, NY $69,320
• Denver, CO $69,100
• Raleigh, NC $69,100
• Orlando, FL $68,880
• Madison, WI $68,760
• Rochester, NY $68,600
• Savannah, GA $68,030
• Omaha, NE $67,390
• Las Vegas, NV $67,280
• Kansas City, MO $67,230
• Medford, OR $66,690
• Miami, FL $66,470
• Lancaster, PA $65,660
• Buffalo, NY $65,630
• Amherst Town, MA $65,290
• Cape Coral, FL $64,900
• Dayton, OH $64,690
• Dallas, TX $64,520
• Birmingham, AL $64,460
• Manchester, NH $64,010
• Milwaukee, WI $63,910
• Tulsa, OK $63,780
• Charlotte, NC $63,720
• Fort Wayne, IN $63,640
• Greensboro, NC $63,270
• Nashville, TN $63,270
• Toledo, OH $63,090
• Knoxville, TN $63,080
• Columbia, MO $63,030
• Des Moines, IA $63,010
• Cincinnati, OH $62,440
• Cedar Rapids, IA $62,110
• Provo, UT $62,060
• Spokane, WA $62,060
• Lansing, MI $61,980
• Boise City, ID $61,650
• Green Bay, WI $61,500
• Winston, NC $61,460
• Chattanooga, TN $61,400
• Cleveland, OH $60,880
• Atlantic City, NJ $60,700
• North Port, FL $60,640
• Lincoln, NE $60,200
• Akron, OH $59,900
• Phoenix, AZ $58,870
• Memphis, TN $58,480
• Kingsport, TN $57,600
• St. Louis, MO $57,390
• Bend, OR $55,930
• Albuquerque, NM $53,490
• Louisville/Jefferson County, KY $52,520
• Springfield, MO $51,260
• Lexington, KY $51,170
• Fargo, ND $50,860
• Fayetteville, AR $50,720
• Greenville, SC $49,980
• Iowa City, IA $49,000
• Tucson, AZ $47,990
• Wilmington, NC $47,940
• Hickory, NC $47,300
• Little Rock, AR $47,210
• Ann Arbor, MI $37,330