Careers / Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$76,910
United States, 2025
Employment
47,940
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.
- O*NET code
- 27-3043.05
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
- Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
- Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
- Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.
- Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.
- Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
- Confer with clients, editors, publishers, or producers to discuss changes or revisions to written material.
- Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$44,310
25th percentile
$58,230
75th percentile
$101,950
90th percentile
$139,870
Most important skills
- Writing4.8
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Speaking3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Monitoring2.8
- Time Management2.8
- Coordination2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 9 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
9
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 4.8 | 5.8 | Not selected | 5.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.3 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Poets, Lyricists and Creative WritersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | $129,300 | 1,050 | 2025 |
| Waterbury, CT | $127,350 | 50 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $118,810 | 400 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $108,460 | 2,060 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $107,700 | 50 | 2025 |
| MD | $104,330 | 540 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $103,060 | 150 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $102,570 | — | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $98,730 | 520 | 2025 |
| CT | $98,460 | 480 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $97,160 | 140 | 2025 |
| VT | $94,430 | 110 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $94,410 | 60 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $90,060 | 110 | 2025 |
| LA | $89,520 | 480 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $87,560 | 600 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $87,020 | 240 | 2025 |
| CA | $86,480 | 8,390 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $86,340 | 30 | 2025 |
| WA | $85,700 | 770 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.