Writers and Authors
Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043) earn a median $76,910 a year ($36.98 an hour) in the United States, with 47,940 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What writers and authors do
Writers and authors create and prepare written material such as scripts, stories, and advertisements. Many of the tasks O*NET lists concern advertising copy: building campaigns for varied clients in cooperation with an agency, discussing the product, advertising themes, and methods with clients, and presenting drafts and ideas for approval. They vary language and tone according to the product and the medium, review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other marketing data, and write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other informative or marketing material. Alternate titles include advertising copywriter, ad writer, and article writer, which reflects how much of the listed work is copy for advertising and marketing. News analysts, reporters, and journalists, public relations specialists, and technical writers are excluded and have their own classifications, as do editors.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Advertisement Agency Copywriter, Advertisement Copywriter, Advertisement Writer, Advertising Associate, Advertising Copywriter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $21.31 | $28.00 | $36.98 | $49.01 | $67.25 | $41.39 | 47,940 |
| Annual | $44,310 | $58,230 | $76,910 | $101,950 | $139,870 | $86,090 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where writers and authors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $36.05 | $48.23 | $62.16 | $75.97 | $82.92 | $61.97 | 1,050 | 1.49 | 4.85 |
| Annual | $74,990 | $100,320 | $129,300 | $158,020 | $172,480 | $128,890 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $28.64 | $37.03 | $50.16 | $67.63 | $79.35 | $52.72 | 540 | 0.20 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $59,560 | $77,020 | $104,330 | $140,670 | $165,050 | $109,650 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $25.12 | $35.39 | $47.34 | $62.14 | $73.83 | $53.09 | 480 | 0.28 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $52,250 | $73,610 | $98,460 | $129,260 | $153,560 | $110,420 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $35.24 | $38.42 | $45.40 | $51.72 | $63.85 | $46.28 | 110 | 0.38 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $73,290 | $79,920 | $94,430 | $107,590 | $132,810 | $96,260 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $14.30 | $26.86 | $43.04 | $50.95 | $55.20 | $39.69 | 480 | 0.25 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $29,740 | $55,860 | $89,520 | $105,970 | $114,810 | $82,560 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $27.27 | $36.31 | $41.58 | $61.48 | $92.83 | $51.23 | 8,390 | 0.46 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $56,730 | $75,530 | $86,480 | $127,870 | $193,080 | $106,560 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,480 | 0.77 | 2.51 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $20.02 | $22.79 | $32.73 | $44.76 | $49.30 | $36.00 | 3,010 | 0.30 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $41,650 | $47,410 | $68,080 | $93,100 | $102,540 | $74,890 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $20.11 | $20.88 | $32.80 | $46.77 | $64.61 | $37.13 | 2,640 | 0.43 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $41,830 | $43,440 | $68,220 | $97,280 | $134,400 | $77,240 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.59 | $25.94 | $33.65 | $46.28 | $60.21 | $39.04 | 2,320 | 0.17 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $49,070 | $53,950 | $69,990 | $96,260 | $125,240 | $81,210 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | Hourly | $27.46 | $44.93 | $61.23 | $90.91 | $325.19 | $89.60 | 50 | 0.34 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $57,120 | $93,460 | $127,350 | $189,090 | $676,390 | $186,370 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $30.13 | $41.20 | $57.12 | $76.65 | $85.09 | $57.95 | 400 | 0.35 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $62,680 | $85,700 | $118,810 | $159,420 | $176,980 | $120,540 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $33.22 | $40.00 | $52.14 | $70.04 | $82.41 | $56.76 | 2,060 | 0.66 | 2.13 |
| Annual | $69,090 | $83,200 | $108,460 | $145,680 | $171,410 | $118,070 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $20.88 | $34.53 | $51.78 | $77.85 | $85.80 | $54.33 | 50 | 0.23 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $43,430 | $71,820 | $107,700 | $161,930 | $178,460 | $113,000 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $22.46 | $37.86 | $49.55 | $68.67 | $76.92 | $53.65 | 150 | 0.37 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $46,720 | $78,740 | $103,060 | $142,830 | $160,000 | $111,590 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,220 | 0.76 | 2.47 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.88 | $23.67 | $36.51 | $48.07 | $64.76 | $38.71 | 2,120 | 0.47 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $43,440 | $49,230 | $75,940 | $99,990 | $134,710 | $80,510 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $33.22 | $40.00 | $52.14 | $70.04 | $82.41 | $56.76 | 2,060 | 0.66 | 2.13 |
| Annual | $69,090 | $83,200 | $108,460 | $145,680 | $171,410 | $118,070 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,560 | 0.66 | 2.13 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $22.07 | $22.07 | $31.96 | $41.14 | $45.88 | $33.27 | 1,270 | 0.45 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $45,910 | $45,910 | $66,470 | $85,580 | $95,430 | $69,200 | ||||
Top industries employing writers and authors
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers employ 14.0% of writers and authors nationally (6,730 jobs) at a median $60,230 a year ($28.96 an hour), followed by Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (12.3%) and Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (11.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers NAICS 711500 | 6,730 | 14.0% | $60,230 | $28.96 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 5,910 | 12.3% | $79,440 | $38.19 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers NAICS 513100 | 5,270 | 11.0% | $64,700 | $31.11 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 3,880 | 8.1% | $72,370 | $34.79 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 2,310 | 4.8% | $76,110 | $36.59 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (47,940). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $69,510 for writers and authors in May 2021 and $76,910 in May 2025, with employment of 49,410 and 47,940.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $69,510 | $33.42 | 49,410 |
| May 2022 | $73,150 | $35.17 | 54,010 |
| May 2023 | $73,690 | $35.43 | 49,450 |
| May 2024 | $72,270 | $34.75 | 47,800 |
| May 2025 | $76,910 | $36.98 | 47,940 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
48 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $62.16 | $129,300 | $74,990 | $172,480 | 1,050 | 1.49 | 4.85 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $50.16 | $104,330 | $59,560 | $165,050 | 540 | 0.20 | 0.63 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $47.34 | $98,460 | $52,250 | $153,560 | 480 | 0.28 | 0.92 |
| 4 | Vermont profile | $45.40 | $94,430 | $73,290 | $132,810 | 110 | 0.38 | 1.23 |
| 5 | Louisiana profile | $43.04 | $89,520 | $29,740 | $114,810 | 480 | 0.25 | 0.81 |
| 6 | California profile | $41.58 | $86,480 | $56,730 | $193,080 | 8,390 | 0.46 | 1.49 |
| 7 | Washington profile | $41.20 | $85,700 | $50,600 | $129,480 | 770 | 0.22 | 0.71 |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | $40.99 | $85,260 | $58,910 | $138,950 | 1,350 | 0.37 | 1.20 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $40.87 | $85,000 | $44,190 | $131,040 | 1,530 | 0.37 | 1.21 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $39.23 | $81,590 | $49,770 | $128,820 | 1,180 | 0.28 | 0.90 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $38.72 | $80,540 | $46,180 | $158,190 | 950 | 0.48 | 1.56 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.22 | $77,410 | $40,270 | $178,490 | 1,080 | 0.18 | 0.58 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | $36.94 | $76,830 | $42,810 | $132,630 | 1,300 | 0.45 | 1.46 |
| 14 | Indiana profile | $36.45 | $75,820 | $51,640 | $128,640 | 450 | 0.14 | 0.46 |
| 15 | Georgia profile | $35.92 | $74,710 | $38,460 | $133,540 | 820 | 0.17 | 0.55 |
| 16 | Minnesota profile | $35.01 | $72,810 | $50,700 | $103,890 | 720 | 0.24 | 0.79 |
| 17 | New Hampshire profile | $34.53 | $71,830 | $43,200 | $132,870 | 180 | 0.26 | 0.85 |
| 18 | Rhode Island profile | $33.75 | $70,190 | $42,060 | $130,000 | 110 | 0.23 | 0.74 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $33.65 | $69,990 | $49,070 | $125,240 | 2,320 | 0.17 | 0.54 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $32.80 | $68,220 | $41,830 | $134,400 | 2,640 | 0.43 | 1.40 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $32.73 | $68,080 | $41,650 | $102,540 | 3,010 | 0.30 | 0.98 |
| 22 | Alabama profile | $32.19 | $66,950 | $39,830 | $115,210 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.28 |
| 23 | Ohio profile | $31.70 | $65,930 | $40,190 | $101,710 | 830 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| 24 | Kansas profile | $31.65 | $65,840 | $30,920 | $92,660 | 240 | 0.17 | 0.53 |
| 25 | Nebraska profile | $31.47 | $65,470 | $44,230 | $93,600 | 240 | 0.23 | 0.75 |
| 26 | Utah profile | $31.02 | $64,530 | $36,260 | $101,460 | 410 | 0.24 | 0.76 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | $30.97 | $64,410 | $24,340 | $103,380 | 110 | 0.16 | 0.52 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $30.95 | $64,370 | $47,410 | $90,880 | 710 | 0.24 | 0.78 |
| 29 | Nevada profile | $30.73 | $63,910 | $40,560 | $83,130 | 190 | 0.12 | 0.39 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $30.60 | $63,660 | $42,180 | $117,820 | 1,810 | 0.37 | 1.19 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $29.33 | $61,010 | $48,260 | $88,560 | 290 | 0.18 | 0.60 |
| 32 | Tennessee profile | $28.30 | $58,870 | $38,720 | $100,910 | 1,260 | 0.39 | 1.25 |
| 33 | Oklahoma profile | $28.26 | $58,770 | $38,230 | $98,230 | 220 | 0.13 | 0.42 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $27.95 | $58,140 | $42,000 | $98,930 | 600 | 0.21 | 0.67 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $27.26 | $56,700 | $45,760 | $68,890 | 60 | 0.14 | 0.44 |
| 36 | Idaho profile | $27.10 | $56,360 | $44,660 | $108,890 | 90 | 0.10 | 0.34 |
| 37 | Arizona profile | $26.92 | $55,990 | $42,300 | $90,990 | 600 | 0.19 | 0.60 |
| 38 | Mississippi profile | $26.05 | $54,180 | $25,820 | $85,550 | 130 | 0.11 | 0.37 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $24.96 | $51,920 | $38,210 | $91,140 | 520 | 0.23 | 0.74 |
| 40 | North Dakota profile | $24.45 | $50,860 | $35,000 | $83,920 | 80 | 0.19 | 0.63 |
| 41 | Wyoming profile | $23.87 | $49,650 | $41,170 | $66,510 | ** | ** | ** |
| 42 | Kentucky profile | $23.45 | $48,780 | $39,580 | $76,010 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.56 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | $23.06 | $47,970 | $30,560 | $79,350 | 270 | 0.21 | 0.68 |
| – | Hawaii profile | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.09 | 0.30 |
| – | Maine profile | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.31 | 0.99 |
| – | Montana profile | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.17 | 0.56 |
| – | New Mexico profile | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.11 | 0.34 |
| – | New York profile | * | * | * | * | 7,480 | 0.77 | 2.51 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-3040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-3043 Writers and Authors.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-3043, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3043.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.