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Writer salary
Average writer salary
$66,143
Writer Salary Overview
The average salary for a writer in the United States is $66,143 per year. This figure varies based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and level of experience. For instance, writers in California and New York often earn more due to the higher cost of living and greater demand for content creation in these markets.
How Experience Affects Salary
Entry-level writers typically start at lower salaries, while experienced professionals can earn significantly more, especially in specialized fields such as technical writing or copywriting. Writers with advanced degrees or certifications also tend to command higher salaries.
Salary by State
To better understand salary distribution, explore our detailed breakdown of writer salaries by state. This resource helps aspiring writers identify lucrative opportunities in their desired locations.
Highest Paying Writer Jobs
In addition to traditional writing roles, opportunities in content strategy, marketing, and technical writing can yield higher earnings. Identifying these prospects can help writers align their career goals with their financial aspirations.
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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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audacy, Inc. | Writer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $90,701 |
| Dell | UX Writer | Round Rock, TX | 06/28/2025 | $152,150 |
| Whole Foods | Bakery Order Writer (Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Boston, MA | 06/28/2025 | $36,523 |
| Lazy Days RV | Warranty Writer | Johnstown, CO | 06/27/2025 | $39,653 |
| Pyramid Consulting, Inc. | SAR Writer | New Castle, DE | 06/27/2025 | $66,784 |
| Cella Inc. | Writer (Remote) | Elk Grove Village, IL | 06/27/2025 | $114,785 |
| Whole Foods | Whole Body Order Writer (Body Care, Makeup, Vitamins, Nutrition-Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Baltimore, MD | 06/26/2025 | $34,436 |
| Whole Foods | Specialty Order Writer (Beer, Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/26/2025 | $32,349 |
| Whole Foods | Grocery Order Writer (Buyer/Inventory Replenishment) | Kansas City, MO | 06/26/2025 | $32,349 |
| EOS Technologies | Order Writer (Buying & Replenishing) | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $45,914 |
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