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Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers Salary in San Jose, CA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers in San Jose, CA have a median annual salary of $118,810, with 400 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $62,680 at the 10th percentile to $176,980 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$118,810

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$57.12

Employment

400

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$62,680
10th
$85,700
25th
$118,810
Median
$159,420
75th
$176,980
90th

Local compared with national

San Jose, CA

$118,810

Median annual · 2025

United States

$76,910

Median annual · 2025

The San Jose, CA median is 54.5% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $41,900).

Top skills

  1. 1.WritingImportance 4.8
  2. 2.Reading ComprehensionImportance 4.3
  3. 3.SpeakingImportance 3.9
  4. 4.Critical ThinkingImportance 3.8
  5. 5.Active LearningImportance 3.8
  6. 6.Active ListeningImportance 3.6
  7. 7.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.3
  8. 8.Social PerceptivenessImportance 3.1
  9. 9.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 3.1
  10. 10.Learning StrategiesImportance 2.8
  11. 11.MonitoringImportance 2.8
  12. 12.CoordinationImportance 2.8

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Job zone
4

Technology used

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Apple iWork Pages
  • Ashley Software Writer's Blocks
  • AutoCrit Editing Wizard
  • Bare Bones Software BBEdit
  • Blogger
  • Contour Storyteller
  • Facebook
  • Google Drive
  • Literature & Latte Scrivener
  • MasterWriter

Common 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.
  • Follow appropriate procedures to get copyrights for completed work.
  • Attend book launches and publicity events, or conduct public readings.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers salary in other locations

Other occupations in San Jose, CA