Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for creative writers in the United States
Are creative writer jobs in demand?
Creative writer job and salary trends over time
Creative writer jobs over time
Creative writer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 413 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 370 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 384 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 378 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 379 | 0.00% |
Average creative writer salary over time
Creative writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,095 | $35.14 | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $68,827 | $33.09 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $67,705 | $32.55 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $67,324 | $32.37 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $66,692 | $32.06 | +1.6% |
Creative writer jobs by state
Most common states for creative writers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 211 | 30% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 39 | 7% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 403 | 6% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 358 | 6% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 36 | 6% |
| 6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,005 | 5% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 452 | 5% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 220 | 5% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 34 | 5% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 274 | 4% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 127 | 4% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 78 | 4% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 47 | 4% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 42 | 4% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 38 | 4% |
| 16 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 37 | 4% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 27 | 4% |
| 18 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,344 | 3% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 275 | 3% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 46 | 3% |
Most common cities for creative writers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bentonville | 1 | 2% | $61,543 |
| 2 | Palo Alto | 1 | 1% | $103,512 |
| 3 | Troy | 1 | 1% | $61,656 |
| 4 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $65,260 |
| 5 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $74,990 |
| 6 | Glendale | 1 | 0% | $97,949 |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $97,885 |
| 8 | New York | 1 | 0% | $86,375 |
| 9 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $97,470 |
Creative Writer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of creative writer experts
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
SUNY College at Oswego
Utah State University
Fairfield University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
University of San Francisco
The University of the Arts
Molloy College
University of Richmond
Ursinus College
Saint Anselm College
Grand Valley State University
Indiana University Kokomo
University of Miami
California State University - Fullerton
American University
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Dr. Terry Nugent: Graduates with a BA in English have more opportunities than ever before in the job market. While most think only about the degree as a stepping stone into K12 teaching or graduate school, the degree can also be a stepping stone into the corporate world. Large corporations need people who have experience writing complex texts, applying critical thinking and analytic abilities, and audience awareness when communicating with stakeholders at all levels of their industry. Industries that hire English majors include nonprofit organizations, government agencies, medical institutions, journalism, publishing, and entertainment. Basically, I would encourage a senior or new graduate to think outside the box—hone in on the industry you think you would be most interested in, think about the kind of work environment you are best suited for, and then look for entry-level positions with companies in that industry.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Terry Nugent: Maximizing your salary potential will largely be dependent on how well you have navigated your undergraduate opportunities. Participating in student organizations, internships, and electives such as music appreciation or theatre can open up unexpected opportunities or make you a good fit for local nonprofit organization. Taking advantage of traveling opportunities and study abroad will also broaden your opportunities. Finally, realizing that education is a life long endeavor and obtaining certifications will document added skills.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Nicole Walker: My main advice is to show potential employers how it's done!
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nicole Walker: AI is the current threat to creative careers, but I believe that English majors will be highly sought after to write and communicate in distinct voices. English majors learn tone, nuance, metaphor, subtly. Hone those skills because those are things AI cannot just algorithmically recreate.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Nicole Walker: English majors make it clear what's going on in other disciplines, in other sectors, in other businesses, and in government and politics. We are the great connectors between people and between ideas.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Laura Wilson: Writing and editing will always be important and prevalent. Clear communication is increasingly important. Encourage writers to work WITH AI by learning how to use the software and edit the output. Encourage exploration of certificates to make them more marketable.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laura Wilson: Be ready to explain how a degree in English translates to the working world. Be passionate and knowledgeable about why a company would need a writer/humanitarian. Develop an elevator pitch that explains soft skills and hard skills in relation to work they'd do in any field.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Soma Frazier: Take on a variety of jobs. For instance, while teaching and writing creative works, I was also freelancing and writing grants. In doing so, I developed multiple income sources as well as a broad skill base that ultimately equipped me to secure higher-paying opportunities. Beyond that, each job shaped my creative writing: crafting pithy articles taught me to revise down, while developing grant proposals taught me to make a specific mission or topic feel relevant to the everyday reader. You may hit the jackpot and land your dream career straight out of school. If you're like the rest of us, though, there will be a period of uncertainty in which you're building your portfolio and finding your stride. That's the perfect time to take a note from improv comedians and be receptive to opportunities and ideas by saying 'Yes.'
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shane Graham: All the skills I mentioned above. Humanities degrees, and the kinds of thinking they encourage, will only become more important in the years to come. AI chatbots can only regurgitate and mimic thinking that already exists in the world; the well-trained human brain can create something new.
Rachel Robinson-Zetzer PhD
Assistant Professor of the Practice and Assistant Director of Core WritingFairfield University
Rhetoric And Composition/Writing Studies
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Rachel Robinson-Zetzer PhD: People are scared of the blank page. Too often, they think that what they write needs to be perfect in its first iteration; however, that’s a myth and a romantic notion of the lone, solitary writer. In fact, much writing happens in collaboration with others, and people are either drawn to that environment, or they aren’t. Once people realize that writing is malleable, meaning it can be changed and revised again and again, that desire to seek perfection lessens, and Writers are more willing to kill their darlings.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rachel Robinson-Zetzer PhD: Writing is a great profession to enter now because it’s a way to reach a specific audience for a specific purpose. With all the misinformation in the world today, Writers have a lot of power. It’s an exciting time to let your voice be heard, whether that’s through fiction, newswriting, memoir, cartoon, or something else.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Rachel Robinson-Zetzer PhD: On a day-to-day basis, a Writer really works on their bread and butter—their writing process. This can mean actually drafting and outlining texts, brainstorming, taking walks to get ideas flowing, you name it! The writing process is unique to every Writer, and because of that, there is really now one answer to the question How does a Writer spend their day? Instead, it’s best to think of the time a Writer has devoted to their craft as sacred, whether that be drafting pages out long-hand or chatting with friends over drinks about their ideas. Daily, Writers need to read. Great Writers are great readers.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Dr. Allison Rittmayer: The rise of AI is something graduates looking for jobs in writing need to take seriously. I think we will see more collaborative use of AI in writing jobs in the next several years as employers seek to make the most out of the technology while recognizing its limitations and ethical quagmires.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Allison Rittmayer: Don't undercut your skills and experience. You are likely qualified for more jobs than you think you are. You need to promote your experience writing in different genres and across media. Likewise, don't be afraid to take on new projects in unfamiliar formats or unfamiliar roles. That is the key to continual growth.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Dean Rader: There is an interesting study I saw recently that shows how humanities majors tend to start out with a lower beginning salary than most other fields. However, in five years, their salaries and their job satisfaction are higher than those from many other disciplines. English majors who can do another thing, who minor in marketing or who can do coding or Web design often have an easier time landing that first job. But, I also often recommend a graduate degree. That may sound counterintuitive given the reports out there about how college and graduate school admissions are plummeting; however, if fewer people are going to graduate school--especially in the humanities--there could very well be a deficit of people in the workforce with advanced training. If you can get an MBA or a JD or a master's without going into too much debt, research shows it pays off down the road.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Michael Pennell: Find or develop your niche and consider your strengths and weaknesses. What can or do you do that others don't or can't? Why and what would someone ask your advice on or for your input on a question or concern? What is your expertise? Embark on your career with a 5- and 10-year goal or lifestyle in sight. How does this job or career help you target that lifestyle? What skills or experience do you need, and can you get those from the current job? Also, network, both with those inside and outside of your specific field. Generally, breaking through the barrier to your first job may be the toughest stage; after that, more opportunities will appear, especially if you consider how that first job can position you for next move.
Prof. Laura Betz PhD
Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in EnglishWhat general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Prof. Laura Betz PhD: Please use the skills I mentioned in my bolded quote as my answer for this question.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. Laura Betz PhD: Any graduate beginning a career should feel very confident in the skills of critical thinking, writing, and public speaking that the English major has provided, and should be bold in putting those skills to work in many different professional contexts.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Katherine Kim Ph.D: -Again, it depends on the field, as jobs that center on skills you learn by being an English major vary widely. If it is jobs in teaching and studying English language and literature, then being open to interdisciplinary work and the digital humanities/new media will continue to be important. Studying English already requires a certain level of interdisciplinary work, and technology keeps adding to the ways people interact and circulate ideas. In addition, learning how to communicate clearly and understand/interpret what others communicate will always be vital. Given the divisiveness that exists in this world, understanding different perspectives and being able to communicate well with those who hold those perspectives will continue to be important in the field and beyond it.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Katherine Kim Ph.D: -You should have your application documents polished and organized. In addition, students can take advantage of opportunities to highlight themselves while still in school. For instance, getting published in a school literary magazine, heading a school-sponsored literature club or author event, or working for a school (or outside) publication can show your skills and interests before you even apply for full-time positions. Also, part of the situation deals with striking a balance between how you want to be desired by the person doing the hiring and how you want to show desire for the position. While you want to cast a wide net sometimes when looking for jobs, you also want to put in that extra effort with the applications for jobs that would be really great fits. If the hiring person and you both see how well you would fit in the position, that can help make the case for trying to secure you for the job!
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Katherine Kim Ph.D: -I think it depends on what field you are discussing, as 'English' doesn't necessarily need to be seen as a field (unless you are speaking of teaching or studying English language or literature). However, I can say that the great thing about an English degree is that it can be beneficial for people to have in a variety of fields. In fact, for quite a few years now, people in fields like business have been wanting new hires with better communication, writing, interpersonal interaction, and close analysis skills, as well as mental flexibility, than they have been seeing. These are all skills that can be practiced and honed through being an English major! Sometimes people think of English degrees as useful only if someone is going to teach English, but that is definitely not the case!
Justin Wigard
Postdoctoral Research FellowUniversity of Richmond
Rhetoric And Composition/Writing Studies
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Justin Wigard: Think big and be open to new opportunities. Written communication is present in all fields, so the writing skills you obtain can translate across disciplines and professional contexts. Having some experience with digital tools or data science, even just a little bit, will allow you to combine your qualitative writing experiences with quantitative approaches.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Justin Wigard: Critical textual analysis is key. With a degree in writing, you’ll be able to parse multiple forms of writing effectively: grants, data reports, creative works, and more! You’ll be prepared to work with anything that conveys information through written form (digitally, verbally, even visually). Digital writing, rhetoric, and publishing is also going to become increasingly prevalent as our world becomes more digitally connected. So, learning the ins and outs of writing is great, but you will become even more proficient if you have a little bit of experience working with digital projects. Programming, data science, basic web design, or proficiency with digital publishing suites will give you more understanding of how to write and create in a technologically-mediated world.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Justin Wigard: Writing graduates are primed to quickly, innately, analyze many forms of communication. Learning the fundamentals of writing and rhetoric gives you the capacity to work in any written genre and context. My advice would be to read deeply and widely! Read poetry and nonfiction, study business memos and film scripts, annotate law briefs and scholarly monographs. The more you read, the more styles and approaches to writing you’ll be familiar with. Likewise, I would recommend writing constantly, and getting as much feedback from your peers, faculty members, and writing center consultants as you can. That way, you’ll get used to editing, revising, and publishing. Most of your courses will require writing of some kind. Use each class as an opportunity to practice your writing experiences. Follow up with your professors afterward to continue honing those skills. Lastly, think about how you can extend those writing skills beyond the classroom. Explore opportunities contribute your writing skills with faculty mentors, student organizations, local newspapers or publications, and even community groups.
Jay Shelat
Ursinus College
English Language And Literature
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jay Shelat: The skills that will be important in the next three to five years are literacy, writing, and analysis. These are helpful skills for whichever job you might have.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Jay Shelat: Learn to negotiate for a higher salary!
Dr. Joshua Potter
Assistant Professor of PracticeSaint Anselm College
English Language And Literature
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Dr. Joshua Potter: The best way to maximize your potential growth, both in terms of salary and long-term fulfillment, is to find a line of work that meets your interests and inspirations. This will catalyze creativity, unlock new skills and unforeseen directions through the broader economy. We are living in times of incredible change and transition; the path that is currently visible may be gone tomorrow; being prepared to make orthogonal moves when opportunities open and close is imperative for any line of work. English majors, however, are especially well prepared to do this.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Joshua Potter: This may sound counterintuitive, given the way that AI is currently being heralded as a paradigm-shifting technology, but writing is a foundational skill that will remain the bedrock of human communication, storytelling, news reporting, public relations, multimedia production, cultural interpretation, advocacy, and countless other domains of human life and labor. Rather than obsolesce writing, automation technologies are going to demand a sharper, more incisive, form of reading and a more expansive, creative form of writing to reassert the irreducible value of human thought.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Joshua Potter: Follow your passion, use your intuition, and be creative. A humanistic education, especially within the discipline of English, prepares you to be a clear communicator, critical thinker, empathic builder of relationships, and creative wayfinder through shifting cultural landscapes. It is imperative to stay nimble, assert oneself into social institutions and fields of work that stoke one’s inspiration, and be prepared to help build fields and institutions that don’t yet exist.
Laurence José PhD
Associate Professor of Writing and Director of the Digital Studies MinorGrand Valley State University
Rhetoric And Composition/Writing Studies
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Laurence José PhD: The easy answer here is writers write. But admittingly this can mean different things since writing takes different forms and involves different tasks. At the minimum, writing requires reading, brainstorming, drafting, and editing. But it can also require tasks such as conducting field research, analyzing data and documents, providing and receiving feedback, conducting interviews, tailoring content to different media, etc. In other words, what a writer does on a day-to-day basis is highly dependent on the genre(s) in which they write and the context in which they work. Whether one identifies as a creative writer, business writer, or technical writer, a writer creates and shapes meanings that must appeal to a specific audience in a specific context.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laurence José PhD: Writing enables us to understand and act on the world around us. In this way, Writer has always been an important profession. But today, the information overload that comes with the digital age amplifies the need for people with skills to make content relevant and accessible for different audiences. This includes writing for social media contexts, crafting stories for a blog or news website, translating a text-based document into an infographic, writing a podcast script, designing slides for a presentation, or synthesizing research findings via a report for decision makers. These skills are relevant in different job sectors. In many ways, the rise of generative AI and the spread of misinformation makes the need for writers and information literacy skills even more prominent.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Laurence José PhD: Among the likes, I’d say the creative aspect of writing. As a writer, you get to create stories to inspire readers. This can range from convincing an audience to browse a website or give money for a specific cause, to inspiring an audience to rethink their approach to a specific subject. Being a writer also means constant learning, whether it is learning about new topics, interacting with different people, and working with new technologies and modes of meanings. Some of the likes can easily become dislikes too. If one does not like research or is not able to handle negative feedback, then, Writer may not be the right profession for them. Also, writing is hard. It takes time. It requires focus, planning, and the ability to create a space free of distractions. Finally, at a time when technology can generate content in a few seconds, being a writer can also mean having to reassert the value of writing and its significance. This too can be difficult.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Jim Coby: I think that there's a tendency for recent graduates, regardless of their major, to undervalue their skillsets and abilities. Be confident! You weren't simply given a degree; you earned your degree, and you did so by developing and employing a number of significant skills. In the case of English majors, you're a creative thinker who works well with others, can perform research and assess the validity of sources; you can connect disparate ideas by seeking out common grounds, and you can craft thoughtful and robust arguments by synthesizing large amounts of information. On top of all of that, you've become skilled in presenting your ideas in accessible, cogent arguments. If you had an internship or worked during your time in college, you can absolutely leverage those experiences on your resume. But even if you didn't, your classroom experience provided you with invaluable skills. Think back on those formative classroom experiences and be prepared to use them to buttress your answers in an interviewing setting. The more evidence you can provide of your expertise, the stronger a chance you have at securing a lucrative and fulfilling job.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jim Coby: I think we will find ourselves increasingly working with generative AI in the near future. That's not to say that we all need to know the programming behind it, but we should develop a knowledge of how it operates and what gen AI can and cannot help us with. Certainly, gen AI helping us with rote and repetitive tasks will be a boon for creativity, but there's also a potential threat with its creative abilities. The pandemic brought with it a wave of students who were removed from their social and educational school settings for months at a time. Undoubtedly a necessary move from a public health perspective, but there were very clearly some downsides. Chief among those is that many young people have difficulties communicating with their peers. Developing strong communication skills - both in print and in person - are going to become increasingly important. While others may struggle with interpersonal relationships, you can separate yourself by becoming proficient.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Jim Coby: A degree in English does not necessarily provide you with a 1 to 1 employment opportunity. Unlike, say, engineering students, who will most likely move into engineering as an occupation, English majors do not necessarily end up English teachers. Many do, but most don't. Instead, it's useful to think of your employment search more broadly. If you've taken a number of classes in literary studies, then you're likely skilled in locating several points of evidence and making strong arguments with that evidence. You're going to be taking those skills in order to make a case for yourself. Think on the skills you've gained over the years, how you developed those skills, examples of time when you employed those skills, and ways you can improve those skills. Considering yourself as a fully fleshed out "round" character (akin to those you've read so much about) in your own storyline may well help you to conceive of novel and interesting employment opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Jaswinder Bolina Ph.D., M.F.A.: Salary follows success. If you invest yourself deeply and fully into whatever sector you find yourself in, whatever postgraduate degree you decide to pursue, you will become the kind of rare and original thinker the world needs and that employers reward. Be yourself and pursue your passions, and if you’re stuck in a job that doesn’t match those passions, then figure out a way to bring them into that space. Or find someplace else to work. We don’t always have the luxury of the latter option, but we do always have a chance to bring what we love to whatever it is we happen to be doing, whether writing our own novels and poems, working on PowerPoint presentations and white papers, or slinging coffee or cocktails. Your job isn’t you, so shape your job to fit the person you really are and the person you hope to be.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jaswinder Bolina Ph.D., M.F.A.: As large-language model artificial intelligence permeates the marketplace, those with truly unique reading, writing, and analytical skills will become more important than ever. Most crucial will be the ability to quickly identify formulaic writing and thinking done by machines while offering vibrant, original, and human solutions to social, political, and economic problems. Your English major taught you how artful and inventive language can offer singular and vital perspective. Seek out that kind of language and insight. Relish every opportunity to produce it yourself.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Irena Praitis: There’s a major concern that AI will be replacing people in a number of areas. People working with people—as leaders, collaborators, communicators, planners—those educated in the humanities, might possibly be in increasing demand. There are few areas of life more complicated than understanding and working with people. That’s what a degree in English begins to prepare someone for—that complication at the heart of human nature and how to begin to understand it and work with it.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Irena Praitis: English majors are excellent communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Communication skills are highly sought as are skills for people working together. Graduates should emphasize their communication and critical thinking skills, emphasizing also creative thinking and working with and understanding others.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Writer?
Chelsea Horne Ph.D.: Use and develop the skills you have already gained during your degree. And be on the lookout for opportunities to continue expanding your skill toolkit, such as professional development workshops, certificates, and graduate programs (like the innovative MA in Literature, Culture, and Technology we offer at American University), where you can further hone expertise that can make you stand out. We are at a moment full of potential; maintaining flexibility and supporting the expansion of your skillsets can help you maximize your position.
What Creative Writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Chelsea Horne Ph.D.: We can anticipate that interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary skills related to technology are likely to jump to the forefront due to the growing focus on technology, the internet, and the digital world in our field. And as AI and AI generated content become ubiquitous in the workplace, the ability to create and develop original ideas will be at a premium, particularly in relation to proficiency in writing. Because of this, writing and critical thinking skills will only become more important over time. For example: the ability to conduct critical close readings, thoughtful research and information retrieval practices, and the ability to connect ideas together and engage with larger conversations happening in the field.
What will help Creative Writers increase their earning potential?
Chelsea Horne Ph.D.: It is important to remember that even if this moment feels daunting and uncertain, you are at a very exciting stage of your life and career. Think about all your options and possibilities and focus on where and how you want to contribute to the world through your writing and profession. As you step into your career, consider building your network: at your workplace, with alumni groups, and with industry professionals. A strong network can offer opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, development, and more.