# Writers and Authors

SOC 27-3043. Page: https://educationguide.com/careers/writers-and-authors

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.

## Pay and outlook
- U.S. median wage $76,910 (middle half $58,230–$101,950; BLS May 2025)
- Ages 25-34: median $57,276; 85% hold a bachelor's or higher (Census ACS 2020-2024)
- Jobs 2025-35: -0.3%; ~11.9k openings a year; typical entry: Bachelor's degree

## Fields of degree of young workers (ages 25-34, bachelor's+)
- English Language And Literature: 16% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/english)
- Communications: 9% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/communications, https://educationguide.com/degrees/communication-journalism-and-related-programs-other)
- Journalism: 7% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/journalism)
- Composition And Rhetoric: 4% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/writing)
- Political Science And Government: 4% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/political-science)
- Advertising And Public Relations: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/public-relations-and-advertising)
- Psychology: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/psychology)
- History: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/history)
- Mass Media: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/broadcasting-digital-media)
- Film Video And Photographic Arts: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/film-and-photography)

## Median wage by state
- AL: $66,950
- AR: $47,970
- AZ: $55,990
- CA: $86,480
- CO: $76,830
- CT: $98,460
- DC: $129,300
- FL: $68,080
- GA: $74,710
- IA: $61,010
- ID: $56,360
- IL: $68,220
- IN: $75,820
- KS: $65,840
- KY: $48,780
- LA: $89,520
- MA: $85,260
- MD: $104,330
- MN: $72,810
- MO: $58,140
- MS: $54,180
- NC: $63,660
- ND: $50,860
- NE: $65,470
- NH: $71,830
- NJ: $81,590
- NV: $63,910
- OH: $65,930
- OK: $58,770
- OR: $80,540
- PA: $77,410
- PR: $43,440
- RI: $70,190
- SC: $51,920
- SD: $56,700
- TN: $58,870
- TX: $69,990
- UT: $64,530
- VA: $85,000
- VT: $94,430
- WA: $85,700
- WI: $64,370
- WV: $64,410
- WY: $49,650

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#careers

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).