Writers and Authors Salary by City

BLS OEWS May 2025 • 207 metro areas

Top-paying metros for Writers and Authors

Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
District of Columbia $121,160 1,240
San Jose, CA $107,810 390
Southern Vermont $107,590 —
Maryland $107,540 620
Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV $106,340 2,310
Fort Collins, CO $102,570 —

Browse Writers and Authors salaries by state

Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia

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      All metros — Writers and Authors salaries

      AL
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Montgomery, AL $76,710 30
      Huntsville, AL $72,740 30
      Birmingham, AL $58,140 50
      Alabama $57,120 170
      AR
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Little Rock, AR $50,590 90
      Fayetteville, AR $48,340 80
      Arkansas $46,490 280
      AZ
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Phoenix, AZ $65,370 400
      Arizona $62,640 580
      Tucson, AZ $56,050 60
      CA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      San Jose, CA $107,810 390
      San Francisco, CA $97,680 1,330
      San Luis Obispo, CA $96,240 40
      Santa Rosa, CA $96,120 60
      California $80,470 8,950
      Sacramento, CA $80,470 360
      Los Angeles, CA $79,080 4,460
      Oxnard, CA $74,830 100
      Salinas, CA $73,860 30
      Bakersfield, CA $72,810 30
      San Diego, CA $71,390 670
      Fresno, CA $69,960 70
      Chico, CA $68,880 30
      Riverside, CA $65,930 260
      Santa Maria, CA $52,000 80
      CO
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Fort Collins, CO $102,570 —
      Southwest Colorado $83,580 50
      Boulder, CO $83,540 130
      Colorado Springs, CO $69,400 80
      Denver, CO $59,780 970
      Greeley, CO $47,990 80
      CT
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Waterbury, CT $92,280 80
      New Haven, CT $82,280 80
      Connecticut $80,950 640
      Norwich, CT $80,950 50
      Hartford, CT $79,340 130
      Bridgeport, CT $75,920 240
      DC
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV $106,340 2,310
      DE
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Delaware $57,310 40
      FL
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Pensacola, FL $74,790 40
      Deltona, FL $73,440 40
      Tallahassee, FL $72,010 40
      Orlando, FL $67,990 —
      Tampa, FL $65,930 280
      Florida $65,830 2,440
      South Florida $63,900 40
      Miami, FL $63,550 —
      Cape Coral, FL $61,540 40
      Jacksonville, FL $57,250 140
      North Port, FL $54,140 90
      GA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Atlanta, GA $72,000 660
      Savannah, GA $68,600 40
      Georgia $64,070 1,200
      HI
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Urban Honolulu, HI $68,620 40
      IA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Cedar Rapids, IA $62,110 40
      Des Moines, IA $58,140 110
      Iowa $54,990 280
      Iowa City, IA $49,000 50
      Southeast Iowa $48,890 40
      ID
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Idaho $65,450 100
      Boise City, ID $58,250 60
      IL
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Chicago, IL-IN $69,150 1,590
      Illinois $66,180 2,010
      Peoria, IL $59,060 30
      West Central Illinois $52,000 30
      IN
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Indianapolis, IN $68,220 190
      Fort Wayne, IN $63,640 50
      Bloomington, IN $63,350 —
      Indiana $62,080 510
      KS
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Kansas $59,440 190
      Kansas $56,340 30
      Topeka, KS $51,610 —
      KY
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $60,890 130
      Kentucky $43,450 340
      Lexington, KY $42,200 60
      Central Kentucky $40,760 60
      South Central Kentucky $38,170 30
      LA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Baton Rouge, LA $77,640 110
      Louisiana $70,810 380
      New Orleans, LA $70,480 100
      MA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Worcester, MA $79,080 50
      Boston, MA-NH $78,870 1,070
      Massachusetts $78,440 1,260
      Amherst Town, MA $62,150 40
      MD
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Maryland $107,540 620
      Baltimore, MD $100,550 290
      Hagerstown, MD-WV $77,710 40
      ME
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Portland, ME $69,240 40
      Maine $65,000 —
      Southwest Maine $34,990 30
      MI
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Lansing, MI $61,980 30
      Michigan $61,800 860
      Detroit, MI $61,670 300
      Grand Rapids, MI $55,460 60
      Ann Arbor, MI $35,530 140
      MN
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Minneapolis, MN-WI $68,640 780
      Minnesota $65,900 980
      MO
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Kansas City, MO-KS $63,530 190
      Columbia, MO $63,030 40
      Missouri $59,040 550
      St. Louis, MO-IL $59,040 320
      Springfield, MO $51,260 30
      MS
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Mississippi $51,230 130
      Jackson, MS $47,680 30
      MT
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Montana $59,990 90
      NC
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Durham, NC $76,680 200
      Raleigh, NC $74,820 570
      Wilmington, NC $70,700 100
      Winston, NC $70,480 90
      Greensboro, NC $65,280 80
      North Carolina $63,720 2,170
      Charlotte, NC-SC $59,990 490
      Asheville, NC $58,850 50
      Eastern North Carolina $49,890 50
      Central North Carolina $45,380 30
      Western North Carolina $35,580 100
      Hickory, NC $33,110 50
      ND
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Fargo, ND-MN $54,490 40
      North Dakota $51,970 70
      NE
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Omaha, NE-IA $64,940 100
      Nebraska $64,150 200
      Lincoln, NE $62,390 50
      NH
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Northern New Hampshire $74,090 40
      New Hampshire $60,690 230
      Manchester, NH $58,510 70
      NJ
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Trenton, NJ $80,350 140
      New Jersey $75,640 1,610
      Atlantic City, NJ $60,520 30
      NM
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      New Mexico $73,790 60
      Albuquerque, NM $53,490 60
      NV
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Las Vegas, NV $52,770 160
      Nevada $52,700 200
      NY
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Albany, NY $63,270 130
      Buffalo, NY $62,320 120
      Rochester, NY $61,660 100
      Glens Falls, NY $59,990 30
      Syracuse, NY $57,330 50
      Central East New York $55,510 60
      OH
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $75,330 190
      Columbus, OH $72,000 270
      Ohio $67,580 960
      Cleveland, OH $63,400 160
      Toledo, OH $63,090 30
      Dayton, OH $58,850 60
      Akron, OH $46,000 80
      OK
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Oklahoma City, OK $60,820 —
      Tulsa, OK $59,730 —
      Oklahoma $52,720 —
      Southeast Oklahoma $43,040 30
      OR
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Portland, OR-WA $84,520 580
      Oregon $77,830 850
      Eugene, OR $70,310 60
      Medford, OR $60,090 40
      Salem, OR $59,480 40
      Bend, OR $55,930 50
      Other
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      District of Columbia $121,160 1,240
      PA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD $75,890 720
      Allentown, PA-NJ $67,350 40
      Harrisburg, PA $66,560 60
      Pennsylvania $58,170 1,360
      Lancaster, PA $52,720 40
      Reading, PA $49,910 30
      Pittsburgh, PA $49,020 190
      PR
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      San Juan, PR $37,190 110
      RI
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Providence, RI-MA $60,000 210
      Rhode Island $59,550 200
      SC
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Charleston, SC $55,980 —
      Greenville, SC $51,850 110
      South Carolina $51,850 470
      Columbia, SC $50,070 40
      SD
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      South Dakota $58,740 40
      TN
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Nashville, TN $60,540 390
      Knoxville, TN $58,620 310
      Tennessee $58,620 1,220
      Memphis, TN-MS-AR $55,360 150
      Kingsport, TN-VA $54,830 30
      Chattanooga, TN-GA $54,770 70
      North Central Tennessee $45,100 30
      TX
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      San Antonio, TX $76,130 110
      Austin, TX $76,060 370
      Texas $71,650 2,100
      Houston, TX $68,990 360
      Dallas, TX $64,520 850
      El Paso, TX $60,260 30
      UT
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Salt Lake City, UT $75,690 360
      Utah $61,020 630
      Provo, UT $45,190 190
      VA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Charlottesville, VA $83,090 50
      Virginia $80,990 1,630
      Richmond, VA $69,760 190
      Virginia Beach, VA-NC $67,580 210
      West Virginia $66,970 100
      VT
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Southern Vermont $107,590 —
      Northern Vermont $92,690 40
      Vermont $86,040 60
      Burlington, VT $85,020 40
      WA
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Seattle, WA $90,320 720
      Washington $86,170 900
      Spokane, WA $62,060 60
      Olympia, WA $53,640 30
      WI
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Madison, WI $65,460 170
      Wisconsin $62,450 620
      Milwaukee, WI $62,310 170
      Green Bay, WI $61,540 40
      Oshkosh, WI $60,500 40
      Northeastern Wisconsin $58,450 40
      WV
      Metro areaMedian salaryEmployed
      Charleston, WV $72,340 30