Writers and Authors Salary
Average salary, salary range, and compensation data for Writers and Authors positions across the United States.
Median Annual Salary
$72,270
National average
Salary Range
$41,080 – $133,680
10th–90th percentile
Data Year
2024
Source: BLS
Writers and Authors Salary by City
| Location | Median Salary | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $121,160 | $63,790 | $176,550 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,810 | $52,240 | $190,620 |
| Maryland | $107,540 | $57,830 | $155,950 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $106,340 | $63,300 | $164,840 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $100,550 | $57,830 | $155,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,680 | $63,820 | $173,610 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $96,240 | $50,960 | $208,560 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $96,120 | $42,950 | $169,450 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $92,280 | $36,800 | $213,660 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $90,320 | $58,170 | $129,990 |
| Washington | $86,170 | $51,050 | $129,990 |
| Vermont | $86,040 | $55,450 | $100,440 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $84,520 | $50,230 | $130,870 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $83,580 | $72,820 | $88,590 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $83,090 | $55,460 | $144,280 |
| New Haven, CT | $82,280 | $47,420 | $133,270 |
| Virginia | $80,990 | $48,000 | $133,930 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $80,950 | $52,090 | $107,760 |
| Connecticut | $80,950 | $41,210 | $140,640 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $80,470 | $52,260 | $110,120 |
| California | $80,470 | $45,880 | $163,180 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $80,350 | $44,180 | $104,580 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $79,340 | $37,320 | $140,620 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,080 | $47,210 | $164,480 |
| Worcester, MA | $79,080 | $46,720 | $123,630 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,870 | $48,670 | $137,130 |
| Massachusetts | $78,440 | $48,810 | $137,130 |
| Oregon | $77,830 | $47,340 | $128,490 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $77,710 | $26,690 | $129,060 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $77,640 | $27,790 | $110,180 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $76,680 | $51,770 | $129,610 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $76,130 | $40,470 | $108,760 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $76,060 | $51,870 | $180,800 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $75,920 | $44,500 | $145,930 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $75,890 | $41,450 | $132,660 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $75,690 | $40,800 | $95,420 |
| New Jersey | $75,640 | $45,790 | $119,180 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $75,330 | $39,400 | $98,770 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $74,830 | $36,890 | $152,140 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $74,820 | $51,470 | $102,990 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $74,790 | $40,630 | $154,900 |
| Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $74,090 | $26,810 | $121,750 |
| Salinas, CA | $73,860 | $41,990 | $105,720 |
| New Mexico | $73,790 | $46,230 | N/A |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $72,810 | $46,270 | $119,440 |
| Huntsville, AL | $72,740 | $30,120 | $129,750 |
| Tallahassee, FL | $72,010 | $46,040 | $129,860 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $72,000 | $48,140 | $142,550 |
| Columbus, OH | $72,000 | $45,110 | $98,730 |
| Texas | $71,650 | $43,460 | $133,420 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $71,390 | $47,410 | $155,480 |
| Louisiana | $70,810 | $26,520 | $108,480 |
| Wilmington, NC | $70,700 | $47,300 | $92,990 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $70,480 | $28,350 | $108,480 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $70,480 | $44,390 | $97,020 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $70,310 | $41,790 | $93,100 |
| Fresno, CA | $69,960 | $39,310 | $104,470 |
| Richmond, VA | $69,760 | $46,780 | $97,300 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $69,400 | $40,660 | $133,930 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $69,240 | $33,970 | $114,870 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $69,150 | $38,590 | $114,500 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $68,990 | $44,460 | $98,070 |
| Chico, CA | $68,880 | $47,160 | $91,940 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $68,640 | $46,690 | $104,020 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $68,620 | $32,440 | $122,270 |
| Savannah, GA | $68,600 | $39,990 | $105,660 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $68,220 | $49,340 | $104,170 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $67,990 | $44,350 | $110,210 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $67,580 | $41,090 | $104,850 |
| Ohio | $67,580 | $37,970 | $98,270 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $67,350 | $44,290 | $93,660 |
| West Virginia | $66,970 | $22,200 | $98,550 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $66,560 | $21,680 | $97,510 |
| Illinois | $66,180 | $36,950 | $121,080 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $65,930 | $42,990 | $125,990 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $65,930 | $41,980 | $134,410 |
| Minnesota | $65,900 | $46,690 | $103,690 |
| Florida | $65,830 | $42,100 | $135,210 |
| Madison, WI | $65,460 | $50,170 | $94,410 |
| Idaho | $65,450 | $37,250 | $109,610 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $65,370 | $42,710 | $94,310 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $65,280 | $42,610 | $156,830 |
| Maine | $65,000 | $33,280 | $102,350 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $64,940 | $48,560 | $93,170 |
| Nebraska | $64,150 | $41,790 | $94,320 |
| Georgia | $64,070 | $36,340 | $116,480 |
| North Carolina | $63,720 | $35,580 | $101,160 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $63,550 | $42,580 | $104,990 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $63,530 | $43,110 | $107,270 |
| Cleveland, OH | $63,400 | $36,360 | $96,320 |
| Bloomington, IN | $63,350 | $48,470 | $140,590 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $63,270 | $31,340 | $98,040 |
| Arizona | $62,640 | $38,110 | $98,690 |
| Wisconsin | $62,450 | $46,860 | $92,240 |
| Lincoln, NE | $62,390 | $36,150 | $94,320 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $62,320 | $31,200 | $106,250 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $62,310 | $49,490 | $92,240 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $62,150 | $53,370 | $98,260 |
| Indiana | $62,080 | $47,070 | $102,510 |
| Michigan | $61,800 | $35,530 | $81,580 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $61,670 | $43,990 | $85,210 |
| Rochester, NY | $61,660 | $31,200 | $114,250 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $61,540 | $42,920 | $84,830 |
| Green Bay, WI | $61,540 | $48,920 | $88,830 |
| Utah | $61,020 | $33,480 | $89,830 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $60,890 | $42,220 | $75,330 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $60,820 | $36,160 | $95,850 |
| New Hampshire | $60,690 | $38,120 | $112,820 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $60,540 | $41,790 | $101,070 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $60,520 | $35,150 | $113,180 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $60,500 | $39,970 | $93,460 |
| El Paso, TX | $60,260 | $41,560 | $113,930 |
| Medford, OR | $60,090 | $38,670 | $83,160 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $60,000 | $39,180 | $107,330 |
| Montana | $59,990 | $44,550 | $83,770 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $59,990 | $47,100 | $97,130 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $59,990 | $31,200 | $83,990 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,780 | $37,430 | $128,710 |
| Tulsa, OK | $59,730 | $27,420 | $77,990 |
| Rhode Island | $59,550 | $37,400 | $102,260 |
| Salem, OR | $59,480 | $34,470 | $109,170 |
| Kansas | $59,440 | $15,890 | $100,090 |
| Peoria, IL | $59,060 | $32,390 | $81,040 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $59,040 | $41,940 | $99,850 |
| Missouri | $59,040 | $39,970 | $99,570 |
| Asheville, NC | $58,850 | $36,200 | $93,690 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $58,850 | $21,740 | $95,410 |
| South Dakota | $58,740 | $39,640 | $100,440 |
| Tennessee | $58,620 | $41,020 | $91,070 |
| Knoxville, TN | $58,620 | $45,970 | $68,550 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $58,510 | $40,760 | $112,840 |
| Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $58,450 | $39,990 | $88,770 |
| Boise City, ID | $58,250 | $42,690 | $106,910 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,170 | $21,030 | $134,780 |
| Birmingham, AL | $58,140 | $40,000 | $92,370 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $58,140 | $48,410 | $83,740 |
| Syracuse, NY | $57,330 | $31,200 | $98,770 |
| Delaware | $57,310 | $48,180 | $93,860 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $57,250 | $40,040 | $96,470 |
| Alabama | $57,120 | $36,150 | $108,510 |
| Tucson, AZ | $56,050 | $29,850 | $84,990 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $55,980 | $37,490 | $93,720 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $55,460 | $32,440 | $84,330 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $55,360 | $39,580 | $85,000 |
| Iowa | $54,990 | $31,990 | $81,170 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $54,830 | $24,890 | $80,780 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $54,770 | $37,760 | $95,200 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $54,490 | $33,280 | $80,040 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $54,140 | $39,380 | $98,280 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $53,640 | $33,860 | $102,990 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $52,770 | $38,270 | $84,220 |
| Oklahoma | $52,720 | $36,160 | $80,470 |
| Lancaster, PA | $52,720 | $37,310 | $78,990 |
| Nevada | $52,700 | $39,230 | $84,220 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $52,000 | $41,790 | $101,800 |
| North Dakota | $51,970 | $33,280 | $73,800 |
| South Carolina | $51,850 | $35,360 | $93,720 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $51,850 | $36,460 | $97,730 |
| Mississippi | $51,230 | $27,150 | $83,950 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $50,590 | $34,940 | $71,300 |
| Columbia, SC | $50,070 | $41,590 | $107,240 |
| Reading, PA | $49,910 | $21,770 | $78,880 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $49,020 | $21,380 | $109,160 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $48,890 | $29,520 | $72,930 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $48,340 | $39,660 | $72,010 |
| Greeley, CO | $47,990 | $47,990 | $47,990 |
| Jackson, MS | $47,680 | $32,240 | $75,610 |
| Arkansas | $46,490 | $34,840 | $71,300 |
| Akron, OH | $46,000 | $21,740 | $80,330 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $45,190 | $30,990 | $81,480 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $45,100 | $45,100 | $64,990 |
| Kentucky | $43,450 | $35,430 | $75,330 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $42,200 | $41,240 | $73,580 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $38,170 | $38,170 | $86,510 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $37,190 | $27,980 | $63,480 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,190 | $27,200 | $63,480 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $35,580 | $32,570 | $71,980 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $35,530 | $32,900 | $78,850 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $33,110 | $33,110 | $63,740 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Writers and Authors make?▾
The median annual salary for a Writers and Authors is $72,270, with a typical range of $41,080 – $133,680 depending on experience, location, and employer.
What is the starting salary for a Writers and Authors?▾
Entry-level Writers and Authors positions typically start around $41,080 per year. Salaries increase significantly with experience and specialization.
Where do Writers and Authorss earn the most?▾
Writers and Authorss tend to earn the highest salaries in major metropolitan areas. Use the salary by city table above to compare compensation across different locations.