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Creative writer salary
Average creative writer salary
$73,095
Understanding Creative Writer Salaries
The average salary for a Creative Writer in the United States stands at $73,095 as of October 2025. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the sector of employment. For instance, Creative Writers in industries like advertising or technology may earn more compared to those in publishing or education.
Moreover, the highest paying states for Creative Writers include California, New York, and Massachusetts, where the demand for skilled writers is prevalent. These regions not only offer higher salaries but also a broader range of job opportunities. Understanding the salary landscape enables aspiring writers to target their job search effectively.
Additionally, exploring different career paths within writing—such as copywriting, content creation, or technical writing—can also lead to increased earning potential. As creative writing continues to evolve, staying informed about salary trends and job opportunities is key to navigating this dynamic field.
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Where can a Creative Writer earn more?
Creative writer salary estimates from across the web
Average creative writer salary by state
The average creative writer salary in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average creative writer salary states are Florida, Iowa, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for creative writers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $98,653 | $47.43 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $96,826 | $46.55 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $97,231 | $46.75 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $90,264 | $43.40 |
| 5 | Washington | $88,432 | $42.52 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $91,192 | $43.84 |
| 7 | New York | $85,943 | $41.32 |
| 8 | Utah | $80,782 | $38.84 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $90,580 | $43.55 |
| 10 | Idaho | $84,629 | $40.69 |
| 11 | Indiana | $90,322 | $43.42 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $87,689 | $42.16 |
| 13 | Virginia | $81,021 | $38.95 |
| 14 | Vermont | $79,627 | $38.28 |
| 15 | Nevada | $79,446 | $38.20 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $78,480 | $37.73 |
| 17 | Maryland | $80,303 | $38.61 |
| 18 | Delaware | $81,351 | $39.11 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $79,056 | $38.01 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $77,383 | $37.20 |
| 21 | Maine | $80,570 | $38.74 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $74,609 | $35.87 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $70,488 | $33.89 |
| 24 | Colorado | $75,085 | $36.10 |
| 25 | Oregon | $68,687 | $33.02 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $72,546 | $34.88 |
| 27 | Alaska | $69,311 | $33.32 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $76,568 | $36.81 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $70,034 | $33.67 |
| 30 | Ohio | $69,660 | $33.49 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,805 | $32.12 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $69,341 | $33.34 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $60,184 | $28.93 |
| 34 | Montana | $64,241 | $30.89 |
| 35 | Illinois | $64,947 | $31.22 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $66,000 | $31.73 |
| 37 | Texas | $64,176 | $30.85 |
| 38 | Alabama | $66,713 | $32.07 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $66,733 | $32.08 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $63,017 | $30.30 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $61,607 | $29.62 |
| 42 | Georgia | $63,270 | $30.42 |
| 43 | Michigan | $61,318 | $29.48 |
| 44 | Arizona | $58,958 | $28.35 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $61,561 | $29.60 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,694 | $28.22 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $42,118 | $20.25 |
| 48 | Missouri | $57,130 | $27.47 |
| 49 | Iowa | $58,594 | $28.17 |
| 50 | Kansas | $54,681 | $26.29 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $53,080 | $25.52 |
Highest paying cities for creative writers
The highest-paying cities for creative writers are Redwood City, CA, Mountain View, CA, and Palo Alto, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood City, CA | $103,537 | $49.78 |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | $103,517 | $49.77 |
| 3 | Palo Alto, CA | $103,512 | $49.77 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $103,377 | $49.70 |
| 5 | Parksdale, CA | $102,240 | $49.15 |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $101,673 | $48.88 |
| 7 | Santa Monica, CA | $97,954 | $47.09 |
| 8 | Glendale, CA | $97,949 | $47.09 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $97,885 | $47.06 |
| 10 | Manhattan Beach, CA | $97,651 | $46.95 |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $97,470 | $46.86 |
| 12 | Iselin, NJ | $97,024 | $46.65 |
| 13 | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | $96,757 | $46.52 |
| 14 | Irvine, CA | $96,739 | $46.51 |
| 15 | Spring Grove, PA | $90,718 | $43.61 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $89,930 | $43.24 |
| 17 | Camas, WA | $89,556 | $43.06 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh, PA | $88,222 | $42.41 |
| 19 | Southbury, CT | $87,632 | $42.13 |
| 20 | New York, NY | $86,375 | $41.53 |
Creative writer salary details
A creative writer's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a creative writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $73,095 | $6,091 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest paying creative writer jobs
The highest paying types of creative writers are senior editor, managing editor, and senior writer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Technical Editor | $61,717 | $5,143 | $29.67 | 78,423 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Technical Writer And Editor | $65,088 | $5,424 | $31.29 | 78,617 |
Top companies hiring creative writers now:
Which companies pay creative writers the most?
Creative writer salaries at Apple and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average creative writer salary at companies like Google and Squarespace are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $129,063 | $62.05 |
| 2 | Meta | $126,107 | $60.63 |
| 3 | $121,584 | $58.45 | |
| 4 | Squarespace | $120,901 | $58.13 |
| 5 | NBCUniversal | $92,535 | $44.49 |
| 6 | Electronic Arts | $90,197 | $43.36 |
| 7 | Alteryx | $88,893 | $42.74 |
| 8 | Entrata | $86,900 | $41.78 |
| 9 | Fisher Investments | $86,054 | $41.37 |
| 10 | Foundation For A Christian | $83,117 | $39.96 |
| 11 | Plains Cotton Cooperative Association | $82,759 | $39.79 |
| 12 | Ericsson | $77,731 | $37.37 |
| 13 | KPMG LLP | $77,488 | $37.25 |
| 14 | Crystal Equation | $76,870 | $36.96 |
| 15 | Johnson Controls | $74,140 | $35.64 |
| 16 | Strategic Staffing Solutions | $74,030 | $35.59 |
| 17 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $71,632 | $34.44 |
| 18 | Salesforce | $69,845 | $33.58 |
| 19 | National Restaurant Association | $67,008 | $32.22 |
| 20 | Kelly Services | $46,032 | $22.13 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Creative writer salary trends
The average creative writer salary has risen by $12,251 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average creative writer earned $60,844 annually, but today, they earn $73,095 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for creative writers over the last decade.
Compare creative writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average creative writer salary over time
Compare creative writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Creative writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,100 | $35.14 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | $68,800 | $33.09 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $67,700 | $32.55 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $67,300 | $32.37 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $66,700 | $32.06 | +1.6% |
Recently added creative writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey Group | Mid-Level Creative | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $75,000 |
| Squint Opera | Mid-Level Creative | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $75,000 |
| Journey Group | Mid-Level Creative | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $75,000 |
| Squint Opera | Mid-Level Creative | New York, NY | 05/26/2025 | $75,000 |
| Faire | Lead Creative Writer, Growth | San Francisco, CA | 05/03/2025 | $139,500 |
| Taylor | Hbcu Fellowship-Creative Copywriter | Fine, NY | 04/21/2025 | $50,000 |
| Wealthfront | Copywriter, Creative | Palo Alto, CA | 04/16/2025 | $117,000 |
| Intelliswift | Creative Strategist/Writer | San Jose, CA | 04/15/2025 | $189,708 |
| Intercom | Senior Creative Writer | San Francisco, CA | 03/17/2025 | $160,025 |
| Blackrock | Associate, Creative Writer | Atlanta, GA | 03/15/2025 | $90,000 |
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