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Author/Writer salary
Average author/writer salary
$61,309
How much does an author/writer make?
The average author/writer salary in the United States is $61,309. Author/writer salaries typically range between $37,000 and $100,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for author/writers is $29.48 per hour.
Author/writer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Author/writers earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can an Author/Writer earn more?
Average author/writer salary by state
Highest paying states for author/writers
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $73,685 | $35.43 |
| 2 | California | $82,213 | $39.53 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $74,454 | $35.80 |
| 4 | New York | $72,680 | $34.94 |
| 5 | Missouri | $73,576 | $35.37 |
| 6 | Virginia | $69,859 | $33.59 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $71,975 | $34.60 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $80,076 | $38.50 |
| 9 | Michigan | $68,620 | $32.99 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $71,224 | $34.24 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $66,570 | $32.00 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $63,902 | $30.72 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $65,219 | $31.36 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $64,619 | $31.07 |
| 15 | Alaska | $72,073 | $34.65 |
| 16 | Indiana | $65,291 | $31.39 |
| 17 | Delaware | $64,434 | $30.98 |
| 18 | Maine | $68,633 | $33.00 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $64,019 | $30.78 |
| 20 | Oregon | $63,055 | $30.31 |
| 21 | Maryland | $63,723 | $30.64 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $64,930 | $31.22 |
| 23 | Vermont | $61,796 | $29.71 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $63,485 | $30.52 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $63,222 | $30.40 |
| 26 | Washington | $63,007 | $30.29 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $57,725 | $27.75 |
| 28 | Arizona | $61,000 | $29.33 |
| 29 | Ohio | $61,023 | $29.34 |
| 30 | Idaho | $61,245 | $29.44 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $61,074 | $29.36 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $61,063 | $29.36 |
| 33 | Nevada | $56,816 | $27.32 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $58,037 | $27.90 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $57,913 | $27.84 |
| 36 | Texas | $58,163 | $27.96 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $56,825 | $27.32 |
| 38 | Illinois | $55,334 | $26.60 |
| 39 | Georgia | $56,737 | $27.28 |
| 40 | Montana | $54,725 | $26.31 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $54,794 | $26.34 |
| 42 | Alabama | $56,367 | $27.10 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $56,251 | $27.04 |
| 44 | Florida | $54,260 | $26.09 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $55,175 | $26.53 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $48,094 | $23.12 |
| 47 | Colorado | $50,293 | $24.18 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $52,600 | $25.29 |
| 49 | Iowa | $52,647 | $25.31 |
| 50 | Kansas | $48,235 | $23.19 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $50,798 | $24.42 |
Highest paying cities for author/writers
The highest-paying cities for author/writers are Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and McLean, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $81,114 | $39.00 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $72,838 | $35.02 |
| 3 | McLean, VA | $70,870 | $34.07 |
| 4 | Miramar, FL | $53,755 | $25.84 |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $48,119 | $23.13 |
Author/Writer salary details
An author/writer's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $100,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an author/writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| 75th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| Average | $61,309 | $5,109 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
Highest paying author/writer jobs
The highest paying types of author/writers are fiction writer, author, and co-author.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writer And Editor | $61,482 | $5,124 | $29.56 | 14,865 |
| Writer/Producer | $55,163 | $4,597 | $26.52 | 20,026 |
| Comic Book Writer | $69,377 | $5,781 | $33.35 | 11,008 |
| Content Writer | $58,918 | $4,910 | $28.33 | 19,621 |
| Travel Writer | $57,196 | $4,766 | $27.50 | 18,258 |
| Writer | $66,143 | $5,512 | $31.80 | 13,931 |
Top companies hiring author/writers now:
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Author/Writer salary by industry
The average author/writer salary varies across industries:
- The average author/writer salary in the technology industry is $69,190, the highest of any industry.
- The average author/writer salary in the finance industry is $64,040.
- Author/writers in the education industry earn an average salary of $60,556, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for author/writers
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $69,190 | $33.26 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $64,040 | $30.79 |
| 3 | Media | $62,943 | $30.26 |
| 4 | Education | $60,556 | $29.11 |
High Paying Author/Writer Jobs
Author/Writer salary trends
The average author/writer salary has risen by $10,276 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average author/writer earned $51,033 annually, but today, they earn $61,309 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for author/writers over the last decade.
Compare author/writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average author/writer salary over time
Compare author/writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Author/Writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,300 | $29.48 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | $57,700 | $27.75 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $56,800 | $27.30 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $56,500 | $27.15 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $55,900 | $26.89 | +1.6% |
Recently added author/writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Author/Writer (German Language) Artesa Group | Chicago, IL | 09/26/2024 | $8,400 |
| Course | Author/Writer (German Language) Artesa Group | Chicago, IL | 09/10/2024 | $8,400 |
| Akkodis | Technical Author/Writer-Automotive Industry (Full Benefits) | Bowne, MI | 02/15/2024 | $60,000 |
| Akkodis | Technical Author/Writer-Automotive Industry (Full Benefits) | Bowne, MI | 01/26/2024 | $60,000 |
| Real Staffing | Remote-Clinical SOP Writer/Clinical Author | San Jose, CA | 05/12/2023 | $208,700 |
| Primus Software Corporation | AEM Content Author/Writer | Alpharetta, GA | 03/16/2023 | $83,480 |
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