Writers and Authors Wages
SOC 27-3043 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Writers and Authors is $73,690 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $40,900 and the 90th percentile is $148,240, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
49,450
P10
$40,900
P25
$52,660
Median
$73,690
P75
$100,990
P90
$148,240
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Writers and Authors have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $73,690 | $87,590 | $40,900 | $148,240 | 49,450 | — |
| 2022 | $73,150 | $91,560 | $39,610 | $161,260 | 54,010 | -0.73% |
| 2021 | $69,510 | $81,120 | $38,500 | $133,580 | 49,410 | -4.98% |
| 2020 | $67,120 | $78,680 | $35,880 | $133,460 | 44,240 | -3.44% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Writers and Authors. The highest median is in New York at $98,570, 34% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $98,570 | +33.8% | $121,070 | 7,540 |
| Maryland | $97,770 | +32.7% | $98,280 | 740 |
| California | $94,440 | +28.2% | $108,640 | 8,820 |
| District of Columbia | $94,290 | +28% | $105,100 | 1,280 |
| Oregon | $82,370 | +11.8% | $85,460 | 1,050 |
| Washington | $81,530 | +10.6% | $86,980 | 1,160 |
| Maine | $78,290 | +6.2% | $101,530 | 100 |
| Virginia | $76,940 | +4.4% | $85,930 | 1,920 |
| Colorado | $76,170 | +3.4% | $90,990 | — |
| New Jersey | $76,020 | +3.2% | $81,280 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $75,140 | +2% | $80,840 | 1,130 |
| Georgia | $74,450 | +1% | $96,500 | 900 |
| Idaho | $70,490 | -4.3% | $75,330 | 150 |
| Minnesota | $69,990 | -5% | $73,740 | 940 |
| Vermont | $69,990 | -5% | $86,030 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $69,400 | -5.8% | $71,080 | 170 |
| Connecticut | $68,750 | -6.7% | $84,800 | 640 |
| Hawaii | $66,000 | -10.4% | $62,980 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $64,990 | -11.8% | $69,220 | 160 |
| Kentucky | $64,680 | -12.2% | $60,160 | 340 |
| Texas | $64,530 | -12.4% | $69,940 | 2,180 |
| North Carolina | $64,520 | -12.4% | $68,100 | 2,300 |
| Kansas | $63,840 | -13.4% | $65,990 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,500 | -15.2% | $76,260 | 1,370 |
| Alabama | $62,410 | -15.3% | $66,460 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62,300 | -15.5% | $67,830 | 160 |
| Nevada | $61,910 | -16% | $68,690 | 280 |
| Illinois | $61,250 | -16.9% | $69,630 | 2,390 |
| Indiana | $59,900 | -18.7% | $70,520 | 570 |
| Missouri | $59,370 | -19.4% | $68,030 | 450 |
| Delaware | $59,200 | -19.7% | $70,420 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $58,830 | -20.2% | $64,380 | 1,040 |
| Arizona | $57,790 | -21.6% | $62,480 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $56,870 | -22.8% | $62,040 | 600 |
| Florida | $56,640 | -23.1% | $66,550 | 2,700 |
| South Dakota | $56,490 | -23.3% | $52,560 | 30 |
| Ohio | $56,050 | -23.9% | $59,750 | 1,010 |
| North Dakota | $54,820 | -25.6% | $62,970 | 60 |
| Iowa | $54,110 | -26.6% | $57,560 | 260 |
| Utah | $53,130 | -27.9% | $61,850 | 650 |
| Montana | $53,120 | -27.9% | $66,660 | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $51,480 | -30.1% | $52,680 | 530 |
| Michigan | $48,460 | -34.2% | $54,570 | 700 |
| West Virginia | $48,390 | -34.3% | $60,150 | 60 |
| Arkansas | $46,490 | -36.9% | $52,120 | 230 |
| Mississippi | $45,700 | -38% | $52,850 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $45,140 | -38.7% | $52,630 | 390 |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — | 270 |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | 60 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | 40 |