RateOrchard
Calculators

Salary by state

Writers and Authors Salary by State

Median annual wage from the latest BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release. Hover any state for the cost-of-living adjusted figure. Click to open the full state breakdown.

Writers and AuthorsBLS OES May 2025
Full breakdown →
Pinch to zoom
Loading map…
Lower
Higher

Writers and Authors — median wage by state

  • District of Columbia: $129,300, COL-adjusted $117,652
  • Maryland: $104,330, COL-adjusted $99,362
  • Connecticut: $98,460, COL-adjusted $95,039
  • Vermont: $94,430, COL-adjusted $96,357
  • Louisiana: $89,520, COL-adjusted $101,497
  • California: $86,480, COL-adjusted $78,121
  • Washington: $85,700, COL-adjusted $80,093
  • Massachusetts: $85,260, COL-adjusted $80,586
  • Virginia: $85,000, COL-adjusted $84,075
  • New Jersey: $81,590, COL-adjusted $74,991
  • Oregon: $80,540, COL-adjusted $77,892
  • Pennsylvania: $77,410, COL-adjusted $79,314
  • Colorado: $76,830, COL-adjusted $74,520
  • Indiana: $75,820, COL-adjusted $81,265
  • Georgia: $74,710, COL-adjusted $77,580
  • Minnesota: $72,810, COL-adjusted $73,844
  • New Hampshire: $71,830, COL-adjusted $68,935
  • Rhode Island: $70,190, COL-adjusted $68,612
  • Texas: $69,990, COL-adjusted $72,080
  • Illinois: $68,220, COL-adjusted $68,220
  • Florida: $68,080, COL-adjusted $65,841
  • Alabama: $66,950, COL-adjusted $75,394
  • Ohio: $65,930, COL-adjusted $71,045
  • Kansas: $65,840, COL-adjusted $73,074
  • Nebraska: $65,470, COL-adjusted $72,664
  • Utah: $64,530, COL-adjusted $65,248
  • West Virginia: $64,410, COL-adjusted $71,966
  • Wisconsin: $64,370, COL-adjusted $68,406
  • Nevada: $63,910, COL-adjusted $63,910
  • North Carolina: $63,660, COL-adjusted $67,508
  • Iowa: $61,010, COL-adjusted $69,487
  • Tennessee: $58,870, COL-adjusted $64,059
  • Oklahoma: $58,770, COL-adjusted $66,936
  • Missouri: $58,140, COL-adjusted $64,031
  • South Dakota: $56,700, COL-adjusted $63,995
  • Idaho: $56,360, COL-adjusted $59,016
  • Arizona: $55,990, COL-adjusted $55,601
  • Mississippi: $54,180, COL-adjusted $62,276
  • South Carolina: $51,920, COL-adjusted $55,411
  • North Dakota: $50,860, COL-adjusted $57,146
  • Wyoming: $49,650, COL-adjusted $53,560
  • Kentucky: $48,780, COL-adjusted $54,080
  • Arkansas: $47,970, COL-adjusted $55,201
  • Alaska: —
  • Delaware: —
  • Hawaii: —
  • Maine: —
  • Michigan: —
  • Montana: —
  • New Mexico: —
  • New York: —

All states

51 of 51 results · sorted by value: high to low

Highest- and lowest-paying states for writers and authors

Ranked by median annual wage from the BLS 2025 release. The full sortable list is above; these are the extremes.

Highest-paying
  1. 1. District of Columbia$129,300
  2. 2. Maryland$104,330
  3. 3. Connecticut$98,460
  4. 4. Vermont$94,430
  5. 5. Louisiana$89,520
Lowest-paying
  1. Arkansas$47,970
  2. Kentucky$48,780
  3. Wyoming$49,650
  4. North Dakota$50,860
  5. South Carolina$51,920

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Writers and Authors salary in the United States?
The US median wage for Writers and Authors is $63,482 per year (BLS, 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
Which state pays Writers and Authors the most?
District of Columbia pays Writers and Authors the most, with a median of $129,300, followed by Maryland ($104,330). The lowest median is in Arkansas at $47,970.
How much do Writers and Authors salaries vary by state?
Writers and Authors median pay ranges from $47,970 to $129,300 across the 50 states and DC — a spread largely explained by cost of living and local demand. The table below ranks every state.
Are Writers and Authors jobs growing?
BLS projects a +3.6% change in Writers and Authors employment from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as average.