Writers and Authors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for writers and authorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$128,890
- Connecticut$110,420
- Maryland$109,650
- California$106,560
- Vermont$96,260
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Wyoming$52,430
- Arkansas$54,190
- Kentucky$55,440
- Mississippi$56,330
- North Dakota$57,180
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $128,890 | $129,300 | $62 | +49.7% | 1,050 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $110,420 | $98,460 | $53 | +28.3% | 480 |
| 3 | Maryland | $109,650 | $104,330 | $53 | +27.4% | 540 |
| 4 | California | $106,560 | $86,480 | $51 | +23.8% | 8,390 |
| 5 | Vermont | $96,260 | $94,430 | $46 | +11.8% | 110 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $94,580 | $85,260 | $45 | +9.9% | 1,350 |
| 7 | Washington | $90,740 | $85,700 | $44 | +5.4% | 770 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $90,060 | $77,410 | $43 | +4.6% | 1,080 |
| 9 | Virginia | $88,260 | $85,000 | $42 | +2.5% | 1,530 |
| 10 | Oregon | $87,800 | $80,540 | $42 | +2% | 950 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $87,170 | $81,590 | $42 | +1.3% | 1,180 |
| 12 | Indiana | $85,430 | $75,820 | $41 | -0.8% | 450 |
| 13 | Georgia | $83,270 | $74,710 | $40 | -3.3% | 820 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $82,940 | $70,190 | $40 | -3.7% | 110 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $82,560 | $89,520 | $40 | -4.1% | 480 |
| 16 | Texas | $81,210 | $69,990 | $39 | -5.7% | 2,320 |
| 17 | Colorado | $81,030 | $76,830 | $39 | -5.9% | 1,300 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $79,310 | $71,830 | $38 | -7.9% | 180 |
| 19 | Illinois | $77,240 | $68,220 | $37 | -10.3% | 2,640 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $76,110 | $72,810 | $37 | -11.6% | 720 |
| 21 | Florida | $74,890 | $68,080 | $36 | -13% | 3,010 |
| 22 | Alabama | $72,720 | $66,950 | $35 | -15.5% | 180 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $72,340 | $63,660 | $35 | -16% | 1,810 |
| 24 | Utah | $71,670 | $64,530 | $34 | -16.7% | 410 |
| 25 | Ohio | $69,630 | $65,930 | $33 | -19.1% | 830 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $69,010 | $65,470 | $33 | -19.8% | 240 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $67,860 | $64,410 | $33 | -21.2% | 110 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $67,210 | $64,370 | $32 | -21.9% | 710 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $66,250 | $58,770 | $32 | -23% | 220 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $66,180 | $58,870 | $32 | -23.1% | 1,260 |
| 31 | Missouri | $66,070 | $58,140 | $32 | -23.3% | 600 |
| 32 | Idaho | $65,800 | $56,360 | $32 | -23.6% | 90 |
| 33 | Nevada | $63,980 | $63,910 | $31 | -25.7% | 190 |
| 34 | Arizona | $63,240 | $55,990 | $30 | -26.5% | 600 |
| 35 | Iowa | $62,780 | $61,010 | $30 | -27.1% | 290 |
| 36 | Kansas | $62,370 | $65,840 | $30 | -27.6% | 240 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $58,440 | $51,920 | $28 | -32.1% | 520 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $57,230 | $56,700 | $28 | -33.5% | 60 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,180 | $50,860 | $27 | -33.6% | 80 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $56,330 | $54,180 | $27 | -34.6% | 130 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $55,440 | $48,780 | $27 | -35.6% | 350 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $54,190 | $47,970 | $26 | -37.1% | 270 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $52,430 | $49,650 | $25 | -39.1% | — |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 153 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $127,350 | $186,370 | 50 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $118,810 | $120,540 | 400 |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $108,460 | $118,070 | 2,060 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $107,700 | $113,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $107,590 | $94,950 | — |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $103,060 | $111,590 | 150 |
| 7 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $102,570 | $92,440 | — |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $98,730 | $98,430 | 520 |
| 9 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $97,160 | $95,970 | 140 |
| 10 | New Haven, CT | $94,410 | $95,520 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing writers and authorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $160,180 | $139,960 | 390 |
| 2 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $133,640 | $123,490 | 30 |
| 3 | Utilities | $131,800 | $119,850 | 40 |
| 4 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $131,800 | $119,850 | 40 |
| 5 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $127,540 | $136,280 | 510 |
| 6 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $125,050 | $125,170 | 990 |
| 7 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $124,590 | $124,920 | 1,010 |
| 8 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $116,600 | $119,280 | 260 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $107,910 | $108,620 | 1,510 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $107,910 | $108,620 | 1,510 |
| 11 | Temporary Help Services | $106,340 | $116,200 | 1,030 |
| 12 | Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | $106,210 | $104,670 | 210 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do writers and authors make in the U.S.?
The median writers and authors salary in the United States is $76,910 per year (mean $86,090), and about 80% earn between $44,310 and $139,870.
How much do writers and authors make per hour?
Roughly $41 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $86,090 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays writers and authors the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for writers and authors at $128,890 per year (median $129,300).
What is the job outlook for writers and authors?
Employment is projected to change +3.6% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 13,400 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.