1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
What is a Ghost Writer?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a ghost writer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $30.06 an hour? That's $62,531 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 4,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Ghost Writer Do
There are certain skills that many ghost writers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed detail oriented, teamwork and technical skills.
How To Become a Ghost Writer
If you're interested in becoming a ghost writer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 69.6% of ghost writers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 13.6% of ghost writers have master's degrees. Even though most ghost writers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Ghost Writer Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of editor you might progress to a role such as consultant eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title senior manager of marketing.
Ghost Writer
Senior Manager Of Marketing
9 Years
Product Marketing Manager
7 Years
Marketing Vice President
10 Years
Director Of Communications And Marketing
9 Years
Marketing Communications Manager
7 Years
Web Content Manager
5 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Ghost Writer
Ghost Writers in America make an average salary of $62,531 per year or $30 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $98,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $39,000 per year.
Average Ghost Writer Salary
$62,531 Yearly$30.06 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Ghost Writer
There are several types of ghost writer, including:
Writer And Editor
Role:
When you think of a writer and editor, you might think those job titles are interchangeable. I mean after all, if you write something it's probably a good idea to edit it, too. That's just good sense. So really being a writer and editor isn't much different from being just a writer.
Now, what you'll be writing and editing will depend on what company you work for and what industry you decide to become a part of. Maybe you decide you're interested in the medical field or even science, there are writer and editor jobs for that. Or maybe you really like writing and editing articles about fashion.
The sky is the limit for a writer and editor. You'll be able to find a job, no problem, for whatever you're most passionate about. Not many people can say that about their careers so you should consider yourself lucky.
- Average Salary: $61,482
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Technical Writer
Role:
Technical writers have a specific area that they are very knowledgable about. And that means they're desperately sought after by companies. Not only are technical writers knowledgable about a certain subject, but they're able to write clearly about it, too. Talk about being talented.
A lot of the time, you'll review documents that may prove difficult to digest, due to technical terminology. However, with your expertise you should be able to figure it out in no time. And then, of course, write about it in a way that's digestable for the public.
Technical writing is a great job, due to how many jobs there are out there. You could be a technical writer for anything from an auto shop to the medical industry. Plus, the career is growing every day. You should see where technical writing can take you. We'll bet it'll surprise you.
- Average Salary: $65,329
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Writer
Role:
The act of writing, to most, is merely a means of communication, but to a rare few, it's a privilege to express one's self. The profession of being a writer is meant for deep thinkers, careful thought masters crafting their powers through the vessel of each word, bringing gentle awakening into our dormant lives.
There have been so many writers that have inspired the world. Even Barack Obama was a writer before he/she was a speaker. It is not just what he/she says, but the way he/she arranges the words he/she speaks that injects meaning and voice to the audience. We have Ernest Hemingway, a legendary novelist, and a journalist. In his/her wise words "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places." Last but not least, we have JK Rowling in the character of Albus Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."
A modern writer can help people write great copy, curate web content, report journalistic accounts, write scripts for movies, or even write stories for an organization's brand. These days, employers require a combination of skills from prospective writers, such as proficiency with editing software as well as knowledge in a particular industry. It is always good to consider doing something pro-bono at the start to show practical experience. The salary of a writer is, on average, $26 per hour.
- Average Salary: $66,143
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Ghost Writer Jobs
Number Of Ghost Writer Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 757 | $70,227 |
| 2 | New York | 287 | $76,901 |
| 3 | Virginia | 262 | $83,843 |
| 4 | Maryland | 256 | $67,553 |
| 5 | Texas | 239 | $53,074 |
| 6 | Florida | 236 | $53,065 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 235 | $75,096 |
| 8 | Illinois | 223 | $64,687 |
| 9 | Washington | 166 | $60,889 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 157 | $64,290 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 147 | $79,966 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 134 | $72,215 |
| 13 | Georgia | 134 | $51,938 |
| 14 | Oregon | 133 | $58,616 |
| 15 | Colorado | 110 | $54,000 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 98 | $65,092 |
| 17 | Ohio | 97 | $62,493 |
| 18 | Arizona | 85 | $71,180 |
| 19 | Utah | 82 | $51,217 |
| 20 | Michigan | 78 | $71,214 |
| 21 | Indiana | 73 | $58,400 |
| 22 | Missouri | 67 | $53,622 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 56 | $59,939 |
| 24 | Connecticut | 52 | $72,623 |
| 25 | Tennessee | 48 | $51,405 |
| 26 | South Carolina | 45 | $49,846 |
| 27 | Nevada | 41 | $56,953 |
| 28 | Nebraska | 34 | $48,834 |
| 29 | Alabama | 30 | $48,824 |
| 30 | Kansas | 29 | $50,684 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 27 | $49,648 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 26 | $50,235 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 26 | $48,473 |
| 34 | Delaware | 25 | $64,174 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 25 | $46,525 |
| 36 | Iowa | 23 | $50,459 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 21 | $69,541 |
| 38 | Wyoming | 21 | $58,056 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 20 | $64,054 |
| 40 | Vermont | 19 | $68,710 |
| 41 | Alaska | 18 | $51,020 |
| 42 | Idaho | 18 | $47,679 |
| 43 | Montana | 16 | $54,382 |
| 44 | Louisiana | 12 | $51,918 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 11 | $54,278 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 11 | $49,779 |
| 47 | Maine | 10 | $53,978 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 9 | $49,667 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 9 | $45,824 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 8 | $64,176 |
Top Colleges for Ghost Writers
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
Top Skills For a Ghost Writer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 18.2% of ghost writers listed blog posts on their resume, but soft skills such as detail oriented and teamwork are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Ghost Writer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Ghost Writer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Ghost Writer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Ghost Writer diversity
Ghost Writer Gender Distribution
Female
66%
Male
34%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among ghost writers, 66.4% of them are women, while 33.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among ghost writers is White, which makes up 71.3% of all ghost writers.
- The most common foreign language among ghost writers is Spanish at 28.6%.
Online Courses For Ghost Writer That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure
1. Research Proposal: Initiating Research
Market Research is a growing and important field that is used in many industries around the world. Given all the data that is collected whether by organizations, industries, social media, governments, etc., it’s important that someone can review and sift through all the noise to provide valuable insights. And that’s where you come in as a market researcher. This course will only scratch the surface and provide you a foundational understanding of this field. In this course, you will be able to...
2. Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers
Learn how to "grantsmith" winning proposals, think like a funder, draft a solid boilerplate, and build relationships...
3. Conquering Writer's Block (Writing Mastery)
Proven strategies and tools to overcome writer's block, renew your motivation, and write novels with confidence...
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
How Do Ghost Writers Rate Their Jobs?
Top Ghost Writer Employers
Most Common Employers For Ghost Writer
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $118,077 | $56.77 | 1 | |
| 2 | Collective | $94,509 | $45.44 | 1 |
| 3 | Adobe | $91,773 | $44.12 | 1 |
| 4 | Textbroker | $69,188 | $33.26 | 3 |
| 5 | Leaf Group | $67,554 | $32.48 | 1 |
| 6 | *n/a* | $67,299 | $32.36 | 2 |
| 7 | Callisto Media | $66,879 | $32.15 | 1 |
| 8 | Wyzant | $66,194 | $31.82 | 1 |
| 9 | Wheels | $64,826 | $31.17 | 1 |
| 10 | AT&T | $64,586 | $31.05 | 1 |