Writers and Authors Career, Salary and Skills
Writers and Authors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $76,910 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 47,940. Wage data is published for 166 locations.
Occupation description
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
O*NET code
27-3043.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$76,910
Hourly median
$36.98
Employment
47,940
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$44,310
10th
$58,230
25th
$76,910
Median
$101,950
75th
$139,870
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 5.00 | 5.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Speaking | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Time Management | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | 3.00 | 3.38 |
Typical tasks
- Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
- Present drafts and ideas to clients.
- Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.
- Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
- Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
- Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
- Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.
- Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Persuasion
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Asana
- Avid Technology Media Composer
- Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
- Campaign Monitor
Writers and Authors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Writers and Authors Salary in CAMedian $86,480 · Employment 8,390
- Writers and Authors Salary in FLMedian $68,080 · Employment 3,010
- Writers and Authors Salary in ILMedian $68,220 · Employment 2,640
- Writers and Authors Salary in TXMedian $69,990 · Employment 2,320
- Writers and Authors Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $75,940 · Employment 2,120
- Writers and Authors Salary in Washington, DCMedian $108,460 · Employment 2,060
- Writers and Authors Salary in NCMedian $63,660 · Employment 1,810
- Writers and Authors Salary in VAMedian $85,000 · Employment 1,530
- Writers and Authors Salary in MAMedian $85,260 · Employment 1,350
- Writers and Authors Salary in COMedian $76,830 · Employment 1,300
- Writers and Authors Salary in Miami, FLMedian $66,470 · Employment 1,270
- Writers and Authors Salary in TNMedian $58,870 · Employment 1,260
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- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesNational median $82,890
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- Proofreaders and Copy MarkersNational median $51,120
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.