Writers and Authors Salary by City
BLS OEWS May 2025 • 207 metro areas
Compare Writers and Authors salaries & buying power
Pick two cities to see how salary and purchasing power differ.
Writers and Authors
inAll metros — Writers and Authors salaries
AL
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery, AL | $76,710 | 30 |
| Huntsville, AL | $72,740 | 30 |
| Birmingham, AL | $58,140 | 50 |
| Alabama | $57,120 | 170 |
AR
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, AR | $50,590 | 90 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $48,340 | 80 |
| Arkansas | $46,490 | 280 |
AZ
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | $65,370 | 400 |
| Arizona | $62,640 | 580 |
| Tucson, AZ | $56,050 | 60 |
CA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $106,340 | 2,310 |
DE
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $57,310 | 40 |
FL
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $72,000 | 660 |
| Savannah, GA | $68,600 | 40 |
| Georgia | $64,070 | 1,200 |
HI
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $68,620 | 40 |
IA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | $65,450 | 100 |
| Boise City, ID | $58,250 | 60 |
IL
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | $68,220 | 190 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $63,640 | 50 |
| Bloomington, IN | $63,350 | — |
| Indiana | $62,080 | 510 |
KS
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $59,440 | 190 |
| Kansas | $56,340 | 30 |
| Topeka, KS | $51,610 | — |
KY
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $77,640 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $70,810 | 380 |
| New Orleans, LA | $70,480 | 100 |
MA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $107,540 | 620 |
| Baltimore, MD | $100,550 | 290 |
| Hagerstown, MD-WV | $77,710 | 40 |
ME
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME | $69,240 | 40 |
| Maine | $65,000 | — |
| Southwest Maine | $34,990 | 30 |
MI
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN-WI | $68,640 | 780 |
| Minnesota | $65,900 | 980 |
MO
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $51,230 | 130 |
| Jackson, MS | $47,680 | 30 |
MT
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $59,990 | 90 |
NC
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND-MN | $54,490 | 40 |
| North Dakota | $51,970 | 70 |
NE
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | $64,940 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $64,150 | 200 |
| Lincoln, NE | $62,390 | 50 |
NH
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Northern New Hampshire | $74,090 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $60,690 | 230 |
| Manchester, NH | $58,510 | 70 |
NJ
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton, NJ | $80,350 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $75,640 | 1,610 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $60,520 | 30 |
NM
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $73,790 | 60 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $53,490 | 60 |
NV
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, NV | $52,770 | 160 |
| Nevada | $52,700 | 200 |
NY
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | $60,820 | — |
| Tulsa, OK | $59,730 | — |
| Oklahoma | $52,720 | — |
| Southeast Oklahoma | $43,040 | 30 |
OR
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $121,160 | 1,240 |
PA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan, PR | $37,190 | 110 |
RI
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Providence, RI-MA | $60,000 | 210 |
| Rhode Island | $59,550 | 200 |
SC
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | $55,980 | — |
| Greenville, SC | $51,850 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $51,850 | 470 |
| Columbia, SC | $50,070 | 40 |
SD
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | $58,740 | 40 |
TN
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City, UT | $75,690 | 360 |
| Utah | $61,020 | 630 |
| Provo, UT | $45,190 | 190 |
VA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Vermont | $107,590 | — |
| Northern Vermont | $92,690 | 40 |
| Vermont | $86,040 | 60 |
| Burlington, VT | $85,020 | 40 |
WA
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $90,320 | 720 |
| Washington | $86,170 | 900 |
| Spokane, WA | $62,060 | 60 |
| Olympia, WA | $53,640 | 30 |
WI
| Metro area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 area | Median salary | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston, WV | $72,340 | 30 |