Writers and Authors pay in the U.S.
$86,090avg. a year
$41.39 an hour · 47,940 employed
Writers and Authors in the U.S. earn an average of $86,090 a year and a median of $76,910. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($128,890) and lowest in Wyoming ($52,430).
$76,910Median pay
$41.39Average hourly
+9%Avg. pay since 2020
47,940Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for writers and authors
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,050 jobs
District of Columbia
$128,890
$61.97 an hour
2480 jobs
Connecticut
$110,420
$53.09 an hour
3540 jobs
Maryland
$109,650
$52.72 an hour
48,390 jobs
California
$106,560
$51.23 an hour
5110 jobs
Vermont
$96,260
$46.28 an hour
61,350 jobs
Massachusetts
$94,580
$45.47 an hour
7770 jobs
Washington
$90,740
$43.62 an hour
81,080 jobs
Pennsylvania
$90,060
$43.30 an hour
91,530 jobs
Virginia
$88,260
$42.43 an hour
10950 jobs
Oregon
$87,800
$42.21 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Writers and Authors pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $64k$64k–$73k$73k–$87k$87k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $120,540 | $57.95 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $118,070 | $56.76 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $111,590 | $53.65 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $101,560 | $48.83 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $101,430 | $48.77 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $98,430 | $47.32 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $95,970 | $46.14 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $95,850 | $46.08 |
Related jobs
- Public Relations Specialists$84,120
- Editors$90,060
- Interpreters and Translators$66,360
- Technical Writers$96,970
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$102,460
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$78,720
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Writers and Authors pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $72,720 | $66,950 | 180 |
| Arizona | $63,240 | $55,990 | 600 |
| Arkansas | $54,190 | $47,970 | 270 |
| California | $106,560 | $86,480 | 8,390 |
| Colorado | $81,030 | $76,830 | 1,300 |
| Connecticut | $110,420 | $98,460 | 480 |
| District of Columbia | $128,890 | $129,300 | 1,050 |
| Florida | $74,890 | $68,080 | 3,010 |
| Georgia | $83,270 | $74,710 | 820 |
| Idaho | $65,800 | $56,360 | 90 |
| Illinois | $77,240 | $68,220 | 2,640 |
| Indiana | $85,430 | $75,820 | 450 |
| Iowa | $62,780 | $61,010 | 290 |
| Kansas | $62,370 | $65,840 | 240 |
| Kentucky | $55,440 | $48,780 | 350 |
| Louisiana | $82,560 | $89,520 | 480 |
| Maryland | $109,650 | $104,330 | 540 |
| Massachusetts | $94,580 | $85,260 | 1,350 |
| Minnesota | $76,110 | $72,810 | 720 |
| Mississippi | $56,330 | $54,180 | 130 |
| Missouri | $66,070 | $58,140 | 600 |
| Nebraska | $69,010 | $65,470 | 240 |
| Nevada | $63,980 | $63,910 | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $79,310 | $71,830 | 180 |
| New Jersey | $87,170 | $81,590 | 1,180 |
| North Carolina | $72,340 | $63,660 | 1,810 |
| North Dakota | $57,180 | $50,860 | 80 |
| Ohio | $69,630 | $65,930 | 830 |
| Oklahoma | $66,250 | $58,770 | 220 |
| Oregon | $87,800 | $80,540 | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $90,060 | $77,410 | 1,080 |
| Rhode Island | $82,940 | $70,190 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $58,440 | $51,920 | 520 |
| South Dakota | $57,230 | $56,700 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $66,180 | $58,870 | 1,260 |
| Texas | $81,210 | $69,990 | 2,320 |
| Utah | $71,670 | $64,530 | 410 |
| Vermont | $96,260 | $94,430 | 110 |
| Virginia | $88,260 | $85,000 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $90,740 | $85,700 | 770 |
| West Virginia | $67,860 | $64,410 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $67,210 | $64,370 | 710 |
| Wyoming | $52,430 | $49,650 | – |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$80,510
2,120 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$118,070
2,060 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$69,200
1,270 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$94,580
1,130 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$77,800
860 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$78,900
850 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$94,070
600 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$78,890
570 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do writers and authors make?
The average is $86,090 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $76,910 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $41.39, and the median is $36.98 an hour.
Which state pays writers and authors the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $128,890 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $120,540.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $44,310 a year, and the top 10% earn over $139,870.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-3043. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.