Writers and Authors
SOC code 27-3043 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,310 | $21.31 |
| 25th percentile | $58,230 | $28.00 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $76,910 | $36.98 |
| 75th percentile | $101,950 | $49.01 |
| 90th percentile | $139,870 | $67.25 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 49 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 170 | $64,040 | $57,120 | $36,150 | $40,540 | $75,450 | $108,510 |
| Arizona | 580 | $65,360 | $62,640 | $38,110 | $47,450 | $75,720 | $98,690 |
| Arkansas | 280 | $51,080 | $46,490 | $34,840 | $41,260 | $57,500 | $71,300 |
| California | 8,950 | $96,880 | $80,470 | $45,880 | $58,170 | $111,610 | $163,180 |
| Colorado | 1,540 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | 640 | $92,350 | $80,950 | $41,210 | $61,190 | $102,580 | $140,640 |
| Delaware | 40 | $65,030 | $57,310 | $48,180 | $50,090 | $68,910 | $93,860 |
| District of Columbia | 1,240 | $122,310 | $121,160 | $63,790 | $80,060 | $153,340 | $176,550 |
| Florida | 2,440 | $79,820 | $65,830 | $42,100 | $50,220 | $86,460 | $135,210 |
| Georgia | 1,200 | $78,720 | $64,070 | $36,340 | $59,040 | $84,000 | $116,480 |
| Hawaii | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Idaho | 100 | $71,280 | $65,450 | $37,250 | $44,760 | $95,640 | $109,610 |
| Illinois | 2,010 | $73,530 | $66,180 | $36,950 | $49,040 | $93,600 | $121,080 |
| Indiana | 510 | $71,970 | $62,080 | $47,070 | $50,770 | $79,830 | $102,510 |
| Iowa | 280 | $57,130 | $54,990 | $31,990 | $48,410 | $63,980 | $81,170 |
| Kansas | 190 | $55,750 | $59,440 | $15,890 | $18,040 | $79,350 | $100,090 |
| Kentucky | 340 | $51,470 | $43,450 | $35,430 | $38,990 | $61,180 | $75,330 |
| Louisiana | 380 | $69,090 | $70,810 | $26,520 | $42,990 | $95,510 | $108,480 |
| Maine | — | $67,940 | $65,000 | $33,280 | $49,330 | $77,080 | $102,350 |
| Maryland | 620 | $108,860 | $107,540 | $57,830 | $77,920 | $139,370 | $155,950 |
| Massachusetts | 1,260 | $92,520 | $78,440 | $48,810 | $63,000 | $102,370 | $137,130 |
| Michigan | 860 | $58,880 | $61,800 | $35,530 | $45,760 | $68,510 | $81,580 |
| Minnesota | 980 | $72,500 | $65,900 | $46,690 | $58,810 | $82,520 | $103,690 |
| Mississippi | 130 | $53,580 | $51,230 | $27,150 | $40,450 | $61,860 | $83,950 |
| Missouri | 550 | $63,900 | $59,040 | $39,970 | $47,290 | $73,570 | $99,570 |
| Montana | 90 | $63,790 | $59,990 | $44,550 | $51,590 | $65,470 | $83,770 |
| Nebraska | 200 | $74,300 | $64,150 | $41,790 | $52,900 | $78,540 | $94,320 |
| Nevada | 200 | $59,870 | $52,700 | $39,230 | $47,820 | $66,360 | $84,220 |
| New Hampshire | 230 | $67,550 | $60,690 | $38,120 | $42,920 | $85,340 | $112,820 |
| New Jersey | 1,610 | $79,770 | $75,640 | $45,790 | $53,990 | $96,160 | $119,180 |
| New Mexico | 60 | $99,610 | $73,790 | $46,230 | $61,110 | $95,090 | — |
| New York | 5,980 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | 2,170 | $69,370 | $63,720 | $35,580 | $49,920 | $78,250 | $101,160 |
| North Dakota | 70 | $53,680 | $51,970 | $33,280 | $45,190 | $63,390 | $73,800 |
| Ohio | 960 | $69,310 | $67,580 | $37,970 | $48,960 | $84,810 | $98,270 |
| Oklahoma | — | $59,200 | $52,720 | $36,160 | $47,940 | $66,920 | $80,470 |
| Oregon | 850 | $82,340 | $77,830 | $47,340 | $60,260 | $92,100 | $128,490 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,360 | $73,600 | $58,170 | $21,030 | $45,640 | $85,490 | $134,780 |
| Rhode Island | 200 | $69,640 | $59,550 | $37,400 | $39,180 | $77,630 | $102,260 |
| South Carolina | 470 | $59,950 | $51,850 | $35,360 | $42,820 | $75,690 | $93,720 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $59,430 | $58,740 | $39,640 | $46,490 | $64,880 | $100,440 |
| Tennessee | 1,220 | $61,120 | $58,620 | $41,020 | $46,940 | $67,580 | $91,070 |
| Texas | 2,100 | $82,840 | $71,650 | $43,460 | $51,460 | $91,730 | $133,420 |
| Utah | 630 | $63,720 | $61,020 | $33,480 | $43,160 | $75,690 | $89,830 |
| Vermont | 60 | $83,240 | $86,040 | $55,450 | $65,580 | $93,560 | $100,440 |
| Virginia | 1,630 | $87,920 | $80,990 | $48,000 | $61,780 | $103,800 | $133,930 |
| Washington | 900 | $91,770 | $86,170 | $51,050 | $67,300 | $108,330 | $129,990 |
| West Virginia | 100 | $63,160 | $66,970 | $22,200 | $30,290 | $77,710 | $98,550 |
| Wisconsin | 620 | $67,870 | $62,450 | $46,860 | $53,040 | $78,070 | $92,240 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
- Editors 27-3041$77,920/yr
- Film and Video Editors 27-4032$75,420/yr
- Set and Exhibit Designers 27-1027$75,240/yr
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film 27-4031$74,990/yr
- Public Relations Specialists 27-3031$74,750/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.