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Writer salary
Average writer salary
$66,143
How much does a writer make?
The average writer salary in the United States is $66,143. Writer salaries typically range between $40,000 and $107,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for writers is $31.8 per hour.
Writer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Writers earn the highest average salary in Massachusetts.
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Where can a Writer earn more?
Writer salary estimates from across the web
Average writer salary by state
The highest-paying states for writers are Massachusetts, California, and North Dakota. The lowest average writer salary states are Missouri, Alaska, and Michigan.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for writers
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $91,233 | $43.86 |
| 2 | Vermont | $83,026 | $39.92 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $87,497 | $42.07 |
| 4 | California | $86,149 | $41.42 |
| 5 | Washington | $80,273 | $38.59 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $85,420 | $41.07 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,891 | $37.45 |
| 8 | New York | $72,814 | $35.01 |
| 9 | Idaho | $69,173 | $33.26 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $74,008 | $35.58 |
| 11 | Montana | $68,058 | $32.72 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $71,882 | $34.56 |
| 13 | Illinois | $70,421 | $33.86 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $67,105 | $32.26 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $67,542 | $32.47 |
| 16 | Oregon | $65,565 | $31.52 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $62,461 | $30.03 |
| 18 | Virginia | $65,503 | $31.49 |
| 19 | Iowa | $68,687 | $33.02 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $65,484 | $31.48 |
| 21 | Delaware | $65,049 | $31.27 |
| 22 | Nevada | $61,020 | $29.34 |
| 23 | Maryland | $62,437 | $30.02 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $64,835 | $31.17 |
| 25 | Kansas | $63,440 | $30.50 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $61,417 | $29.53 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $64,154 | $30.84 |
| 28 | Maine | $60,995 | $29.32 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $61,906 | $29.76 |
| 30 | Indiana | $61,435 | $29.54 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $59,166 | $28.45 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $58,895 | $28.31 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $59,761 | $28.73 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $58,025 | $27.90 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $56,986 | $27.40 |
| 36 | Arizona | $59,087 | $28.41 |
| 37 | Alaska | $48,485 | $23.31 |
| 38 | Utah | $49,861 | $23.97 |
| 39 | Texas | $56,445 | $27.14 |
| 40 | Colorado | $56,383 | $27.11 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $49,610 | $23.85 |
| 42 | Ohio | $56,764 | $27.29 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $54,870 | $26.38 |
| 44 | Alabama | $56,852 | $27.33 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $57,845 | $27.81 |
| 46 | Georgia | $56,337 | $27.09 |
| 47 | Missouri | $49,401 | $23.75 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $39,420 | $18.95 |
| 49 | Michigan | $46,201 | $22.21 |
| 50 | Florida | $42,791 | $20.57 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $43,974 | $21.14 |
Highest paying cities for writers
The highest-paying cities for writers are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $91,310 | $43.90 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $90,878 | $43.69 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $87,474 | $42.05 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $80,716 | $38.81 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $73,334 | $35.26 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,461 | $34.84 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $70,640 | $33.96 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $66,497 | $31.97 |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC | $65,311 | $31.40 |
| 10 | Columbia, SC | $64,773 | $31.14 |
| 11 | Columbia, MD | $62,420 | $30.01 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $61,386 | $29.51 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $58,789 | $28.26 |
| 14 | Baton Rouge, LA | $57,776 | $27.78 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $56,927 | $27.37 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $56,695 | $27.26 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $56,695 | $27.26 |
| 18 | Boulder, CO | $56,645 | $27.23 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $54,730 | $26.31 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $50,496 | $24.28 |
Writers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Writer salary details
A writer's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $107,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $66,143 | $5,512 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying writer jobs
The highest paying types of writers are senior writer, senior technical writer, and proposal writer.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Editor | $61,717 | $5,143 | $29.67 | 78,423 |
| Content Editor | $61,694 | $5,141 | $29.66 | 18,586 |
| Technical Writer And Editor | $65,088 | $5,424 | $31.29 | 78,617 |
| Journalist | $60,828 | $5,069 | $29.24 | 11,488 |
| Editorial Internship | $32,356 | $2,696 | $15.56 | 51,667 |
| Sports Editor | $50,996 | $4,250 | $24.52 | 5,845 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for Writers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Claudia R. Fernández
Clinical Assistant Professor of Spanish Director, Spanish Basic Language Program, University of Illinois-Chicago
It is convenient, at least for majors in languages, to also have a second major such as education, health-related areas, business, computer science, political science, etc. Having knowledge of language and cultures will make them stronger candidates for prospective jobs, that's for sure. Language learning trains the student to deal with "greys" and ambiguities, to make inferences, and to work comfortably, even when not everything is known or totally understood. It builds resilience and confidence.
Top companies hiring writers now:
Which companies pay writers the most?
Writer salaries at Apple and Airbnb are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average writer salary at companies like ORIX USA and Yahoo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $131,886 | $63.41 |
| 2 | Airbnb | $129,429 | $62.23 |
| 3 | ORIX USA | $128,837 | $61.94 |
| 4 | Yahoo | $127,575 | $61.33 |
| 5 | $126,645 | $60.89 | |
| 6 | Ventois | $122,322 | $58.81 |
| 7 | Vox Media | $119,203 | $57.31 |
| 8 | Microsoft | $119,102 | $57.26 |
| 9 | The Washington Post | $117,871 | $56.67 |
| 10 | NerdWallet | $116,840 | $56.17 |
| 11 | VEDICSOFT | $115,303 | $55.43 |
| 12 | Penske Media | $114,944 | $55.26 |
| 13 | Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP | $112,064 | $53.88 |
| 14 | Earthjustice | $110,403 | $53.08 |
| 15 | Nuveen Investments | $108,393 | $52.11 |
| 16 | Fox News | $108,243 | $52.04 |
| 17 | Alliance Global Services | $106,587 | $51.24 |
| 18 | AstraZeneca | $106,539 | $51.22 |
| 19 | Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza | $104,322 | $50.15 |
| 20 | Ubertal | $103,690 | $49.85 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Writer salary trends
The average writer salary has risen by $11,086 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average writer earned $55,057 annually, but today, they earn $66,143 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for writers over the last decade.
Compare writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average writer salary over time
Compare writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $66,100 | $31.80 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | $62,300 | $29.94 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $61,300 | $29.45 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $60,900 | $29.29 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $60,300 | $29.01 | +1.6% |
Recently added writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods | Grocery Order Writer (Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Gaithersburg, MD | 12/16/2024 | $37,566 |
| Fox Corporation | Writer, Politics | New York, NY | 12/16/2024 | $61,000 |
| Advance Local Media LLC | Shopping Commerce Writer | Iselin, NJ | 12/16/2024 | $50,000 |
| Beacon Hill | Beacon Hill | RFP Writer MA | Boston, MA | 12/16/2024 | $70,958 |
| Whole Foods Market | Seafood Order Writer (Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Chicago, IL | 12/15/2024 | $35,479 |
| Whole Foods Market | Whole Body Order Writer (Body Care, Makeup, Vitamins, Nutrition-Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | New York, NY | 12/15/2024 | $37,566 |
| Whole Foods Market | Grocery Order Writer (Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Denver, CO | 12/15/2024 | $39,653 |
| Whole Foods Market | Whole Body Order Writer (Body Care, Makeup, Vitamins, Nutrition-Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Washington, DC | 12/15/2024 | $38,610 |
| Emarketer | Newsletter Writer/Analyst (Marketing, Media & Advertising Briefing) | New York, NY | 12/15/2024 | $75,000 |
| Outlier | Digital Writer | Downe, NJ | 12/15/2024 | $93,915 |
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