Research Summary. After comprehensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of writer salaries by state for the United States in 2026:
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Massachusetts has the highest writer salary of $91,233.
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Hawaii has the lowest writer salary of $39,420.
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The national average salary for writers is $66,143.
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The national hourly pay for writers is $31.8.
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains the most critical factor in job selection for many individuals, as confirmed by recent surveys across various demographics. Therefore, understanding how much writers earn in your area is essential.
While numerous factors influence individual earnings, robust data is available for average writer salaries by state in the U.S., segmented by seniority level. Although your city might differ slightly from the state average, these figures provide a broad overview of expected salaries.
Currently, Massachusetts leads with the highest salary for writers.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for writer salaries:
Now, let’s explore how these salaries were determined and see a complete ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Writers By State
| Rank | State | Average Writer Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $91,233 | $54,000 | $153,000 |
| 2 | California | $86,149 | $50,000 | $147,000 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $85,420 | $53,000 | $137,000 |
| 4 | Vermont | $83,026 | $49,000 | $138,000 |
| 5 | Washington | $80,273 | $48,000 | $133,000 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $77,891 | $46,000 | $131,000 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $74,008 | $43,000 | $125,000 |
| 8 | New York | $72,814 | $43,000 | $122,000 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $71,882 | $42,000 | $120,000 |
| 10 | Illinois | $70,421 | $42,000 | $117,000 |
| 11 | Idaho | $69,173 | $41,000 | $114,000 |
| 12 | Iowa | $68,687 | $41,000 | $113,000 |
| 13 | Montana | $68,058 | $42,000 | $109,000 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $67,542 | $41,000 | $110,000 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $67,105 | $40,000 | $112,000 |
| 16 | Oregon | $65,565 | $39,000 | $109,000 |
| 17 | Virginia | $65,503 | $39,000 | $109,000 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $65,484 | $39,000 | $109,000 |
| 19 | Delaware | $65,049 | $38,000 | $109,000 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $64,835 | $39,000 | $106,000 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $64,154 | $38,000 | $107,000 |
| 22 | Kansas | $63,440 | $38,000 | $104,000 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $62,461 | $38,000 | $100,000 |
| 24 | Maryland | $62,437 | $37,000 | $104,000 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $61,906 | $37,000 | $103,000 |
| 26 | Indiana | $61,435 | $36,000 | $102,000 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $61,417 | $36,000 | $103,000 |
| 28 | Nevada | $61,020 | $36,000 | $102,000 |
| 29 | Maine | $60,995 | $36,000 | $101,000 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $59,761 | $35,000 | $99,000 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $59,166 | $35,000 | $97,000 |
| 32 | Arizona | $59,087 | $35,000 | $99,000 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $58,895 | $35,000 | $98,000 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $58,025 | $35,000 | $96,000 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $57,845 | $34,000 | $97,000 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $56,986 | $33,000 | $95,000 |
| 37 | Alabama | $56,852 | $33,000 | $95,000 |
| 38 | Ohio | $56,764 | $33,000 | $95,000 |
| 39 | Texas | $56,445 | $33,000 | $95,000 |
| 40 | Colorado | $56,383 | $34,000 | $90,000 |
| 41 | Georgia | $56,337 | $33,000 | $94,000 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $54,870 | $33,000 | $90,000 |
| 43 | Utah | $49,861 | $30,000 | $81,000 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $49,610 | $30,000 | $81,000 |
| 45 | Missouri | $49,401 | $29,000 | $81,000 |
| 46 | Alaska | $48,485 | $34,000 | $67,000 |
| 47 | Michigan | $46,201 | $27,000 | $77,000 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $43,974 | $26,000 | $73,000 |
| 49 | Florida | $42,791 | $25,000 | $72,000 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $39,420 | $29,000 | $52,000 |
Methodology: Writer Salary By State
To gain insight into writer compensation across various states, Zippia has compiled data from multiple sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and actual salary listings from job postings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average from these inputs to provide an accurate average salary for writers by state.
We ranked all states based on the average annual salary derived from these estimates, with the state offering the highest salary being ranked first.
Writer Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for writers?
The highest-paid state for writers is Massachusetts with an average salary of $91,233 per year.
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What city pays writers the most?
San Francisco, CA pays writers the most with an average salary of $91,310 per year.
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What is the worst state for writers?
The worst state for writers is Hawaii with an average salary of $39,420 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
