Writers and Authors

More data on this career

Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round workers ages 25 to 64 in the occupation group that includes writers and authors (2 related careers are counted together), median yearly pay is $60,900 with a high school diploma or GED, $66,000 with some college or an associate's degree, $81,200 with a bachelor's degree and $81,200 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.

Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of workers in the occupation group that includes writers and authors (2 related careers are counted together) work in Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (29%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (19%), Information (15%) and Educational Services (8%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most workers in the occupation group that includes writers and authors (2 related careers are counted together) are Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (15% of the jobs counted, median pay $60,230), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (13% of the jobs counted, median pay $79,440), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (11% of the jobs counted, median pay $64,700), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (8% of the jobs counted, median pay $72,370) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Federal Executive Branch ($125,050), Employment Services ($102,700), Management of Companies and Enterprises ($84,620). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.

What workers studied. Among workers in the occupation group that includes writers and authors (2 related careers are counted together) with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are English Language and Literature (19%), Journalism (8%), Communications (7%) and Psychology (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Media and communication workers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 10.6 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 5 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.

Union membership. In the broad group "Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media", which includes this career, 6.6% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $2,032 for union members and $1,387 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to writers and authors.

Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For the occupation group that includes writers and authors (the Department reports one figure for the 6-digit occupation code, which covers 2 related careers), employers filed 42 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 43 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $65,000 (the middle half ran from $53,900 to $100,000) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to writers and authors, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for writers and authors are: spend time sitting (100%), time pressure (95%), e-mail (95%), freedom to make decisions (89%), importance of being exact or accurate (89%), determine tasks, priorities and goals (89%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (58% of 19 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (37% of 19 respondents) was "none"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (42% of 19 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to writers and authors in the work done and the skills used: Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers, Public Relations Specialists, Advertising Sales Agents, Search Marketing Strategists, Editors, Advertising and Promotions Managers, Art Directors, Producers and Directors (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Pay by state. See what writers and authors earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Writers and Authors salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).

Compare writers and authors with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →