NueCareer

Ranked list · 42 careers

42 Jobs for Writers, Ranked by Fit and Pay (2026)

Proposal Manager tops this list at $90,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +0.8% projected employment change over 2025–2035. Below are 42 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.

Careers on this list
42From 1,731 in the bank
Median pay on the list
$76,910BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected to grow
26 of 42BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year
561,000Combined, BLS EP

Method

How we built this list

Careers where writing is the core of the work: authors, journalists, editors, technical and grant writers, speechwriters and content specialists. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages.

  1. Careers where writing is the core of the work: authors, journalists, editors, technical and grant writers, speechwriters and content specialists. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages.
  2. Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
  3. The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.

The list

The top 42 jobs for writers

100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.

  1. 1

    1. Proposal Manager

    Specialty within technical writer

    Median pay
    $90,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Leads the team that writes winning responses to government and corporate requests for proposals, from strategy to final submission.

  2. 2

    2. Regulatory Writer

    Specialty within technical writer

    Median pay
    $90,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes the clinical study reports, protocols and submission documents drug and device companies send to the FDA and other regulators.

  3. 3

    3. Technical Writer

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $90,390median a year
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions.

  4. 4

    4. Editor

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $77,920median a year
    Growth
    −1.1%
    Openings / yr
    7,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material.

  5. 5

    5. Ghostwriter

    Specialty within writer and author

    Median pay
    $76,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes books, articles and memoirs that are published under someone else's name, working from interviews with the credited author.

  6. 6

    6. Poet, Lyricist and Creative Writer

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $76,910median a year
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.

  7. 7

    7. Screenwriter

    Specialty within writer and author

    Median pay
    $76,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes scripts for feature films, television series and streaming shows, from original ideas or adapted material.

  8. 8

    8. Speechwriter

    Specialty within writer and author

    Median pay
    $76,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes speeches, remarks and talking points for executives, elected officials, university presidents and other public figures.

  9. 9

    9. Writer and Author

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $76,910median a year
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

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

  10. 10

    10. Public Relations Specialist

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $74,750median a year
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Openings / yr
    23,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations.

  11. 11

    11. Social Media Manager

    Specialty within public relations specialist

    Median pay
    $74,750median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Openings / yr
    23,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Plans, creates and manages an organization's presence on social platforms, from daily posts and short videos to community replies and performance reports.

  12. 12

    12. Fact-Checker

    Specialty within news analyst, reporter, and journalist

    Median pay
    $62,200median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −5.9%
    Openings / yr
    3,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Verifies the names, numbers, quotes and claims in articles, books, podcasts and political statements before or after publication.

  13. 13

    13. News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $62,200median a year
    Growth
    −5.9%
    Openings / yr
    3,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.

  14. 14

    14. Podcast Producer

    Specialty within audio and video technician

    Median pay
    $58,100median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +3.9%
    Openings / yr
    6,600
    Education
    Certificate

    Plans, records, edits and publishes podcast episodes for media companies, brands and independent hosts.

  15. 15

    15. Proofreader and Copy Marker

    Office and Administrative Support

    Median pay
    $51,120median a year
    Growth
    −0.9%
    Openings / yr
    1,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors.

  16. 16

    16. Director of Developer Relations

    Specialty within marketing manager

    Median pay
    $166,790median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.9%
    Openings / yr
    34,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Leads the team that builds a company's relationship with software developers through documentation, community programs, events and technical content.

  17. 17

    17. Appellate Lawyer

    Specialty within lawyer

    Median pay
    $159,670median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +4.7%
    Openings / yr
    28,700
    Education
    Doctorate

    Handles cases on appeal, writing briefs and arguing before appellate courts to reverse or defend a lower court's decision.

  18. 18

    18. Investor Relations Manager

    Specialty within public relations manager

    Median pay
    $146,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +5.7%
    Openings / yr
    6,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Manages communication between a public company and its shareholders and Wall Street analysts, shaping how investors understand the business.

  19. 19

    19. Developer Advocate

    Specialty within sales engineer

    Median pay
    $124,900median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +2.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,800
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Helps software developers succeed with a company's tools and APIs through tutorials, talks, sample code and community work, and brings their feedback back.

  20. 20

    20. Conversation Designer

    Specialty within web designer

    Median pay
    $104,000median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Openings / yr
    8,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs how chatbots, voice assistants and AI agents talk with people, from the words they use to how they recover when a conversation goes wrong.

  21. 21

    21. API Documentation Writer

    Specialty within technical writer

    Median pay
    $90,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes the reference guides, tutorials and code samples that software developers rely on to use an API or developer platform.

  22. 22

    22. Content Designer

    Specialty within technical writer

    Median pay
    $90,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Openings / yr
    3,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes and structures the words inside apps and websites, from button labels to error messages, so people can complete tasks without confusion.

  23. 23

    23. Showrunner

    Specialty within producer and director

    Median pay
    $90,360median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +4.0%
    Openings / yr
    12,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Runs a television series day to day, leading the writers' room and making final creative and production decisions.

  24. 24

    24. NEPA Planner

    Specialty within environmental scientist and specialist, including health

    Median pay
    $82,220median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.1%
    Openings / yr
    7,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Prepares environmental reviews for federal projects like highways, pipelines and power lines under the National Environmental Policy Act.

  25. 25

    25. English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary

    Educational Instruction and Library

    Median pay
    $78,760median a year
    Growth
    0.0%
    Openings / yr
    4,500
    Education
    Doctorate

    Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature.

  26. 26

    26. Lifecycle Marketing Manager

    Specialty within market research analyst and marketing specialist

    Median pay
    $78,760median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +7.0%
    Openings / yr
    82,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Plans the emails, texts and app messages that keep customers engaged after they sign up, from onboarding through repeat purchases and win-back.

  27. 27

    27. Product Marketing Manager

    Specialty within market research analyst and marketing specialist

    Median pay
    $78,760median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +7.0%
    Openings / yr
    82,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Decides how a product is positioned, priced and launched, and gives sales teams the messaging and tools to sell it.

  28. 28

    28. Dialect Coach

    Specialty within art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary

    Median pay
    $78,620median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +2.2%
    Openings / yr
    8,000
    Education
    Master's

    Teaches actors accents, dialects and vocal technique for theatre, film and TV roles, often on set and in rehearsals.

  29. 29

    29. Book Editor

    Specialty within editor

    Median pay
    $77,920median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −1.1%
    Openings / yr
    7,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Acquires manuscripts for a publishing house and works with authors to shape them into finished books.

  30. 30

    30. Narrative Designer

    Specialty within writer and author

    Median pay
    $76,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Plans and writes the story, characters, dialogue and lore of video games, and designs how players experience the narrative through play.

  31. 31

    31. Corporate Historian

    Specialty within historian

    Median pay
    $76,750median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +3.0%
    Openings / yr
    300
    Education
    Master's

    Researches and tells the history of a company or organization for anniversaries, leadership, marketing and internal culture.

  32. 32

    32. Historian

    Life, Physical, and Social Science

    Median pay
    $76,750median a year
    Growth
    +3.0%
    Openings / yr
    300
    Education
    Master's

    Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublish…

  33. 33

    33. Script Supervisor

    Specialty within film and video editor

    Median pay
    $75,420median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +3.7%
    Openings / yr
    3,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Tracks continuity and records detailed notes on every take during filming so the footage can be edited together seamlessly.

  34. 34

    34. Public Information Officer

    Specialty within public relations specialist

    Median pay
    $74,750median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Openings / yr
    23,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Serves as the official voice of a government agency, police or fire department, briefing the media and public, especially during emergencies.

  35. 35

    35. Science Communicator

    Specialty within public relations specialist

    Median pay
    $74,750median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Openings / yr
    23,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Translates research for the public, writing stories, producing media and running outreach for universities, labs, museums and agencies.

  36. 36

    36. Learning Experience Designer

    Specialty within training and development specialist

    Median pay
    $69,280median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +10.8%
    Openings / yr
    46,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs online courses, simulations and blended training programs that help employees or students learn a skill and actually use it.

  37. 37

    37. Exhibit Developer

    Specialty within curator

    Median pay
    $63,420median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +4.9%
    Openings / yr
    1,600
    Education
    Master's

    Shapes the story, content and visitor experience of museum exhibitions, from the big idea to the words on every label.

  38. 38

    38. Sports Information Director

    Specialty within news analyst, reporter, and journalist

    Median pay
    $62,200median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −5.9%
    Openings / yr
    3,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Handles media relations, statistics, game notes, and storytelling for a college athletics department and its teams.

  39. 39

    39. Game Localization Specialist

    Specialty within interpreter and translator

    Median pay
    $60,170median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +2.0%
    Openings / yr
    6,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Translates and adapts video games for players in other languages and cultures, from dialogue and menus to jokes, names and marketing.

  40. 40

    40. AI Data Trainer

    Specialty within proofreader and copy marker

    Median pay
    $51,120median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.9%
    Openings / yr
    1,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes example answers, ranks chatbot responses and labels data so that large language models learn to give accurate, helpful and safe replies.

  41. 41

    41. Audiobook Narrator

    Specialty within broadcast announcer and radio disc jockey

    Median pay
    $47,340median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.6%
    Openings / yr
    2,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Performs and records complete books as audiobooks, voicing narration and characters for publishers and authors.

  42. 42

    42. Photojournalist

    Specialty within photographer

    Median pay
    $44,660median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.7%
    Openings / yr
    10,700
    Education
    High school

    Tells news stories through photographs, covering events, people and issues for newspapers, wire services and digital outlets.

Questions

Jobs for Writers: FAQ

What is the top career on the jobs for writers list?

Proposal Manager leads the list with a median wage of $90,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +0.8% over 2025–2035. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.

How was this list put together?

Careers where writing is the core of the work: authors, journalists, editors, technical and grant writers, speechwriters and content specialists. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Careers where writing is the core of the work: authors, journalists, editors, technical and grant writers, speechwriters and content specialists. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.

How much do jobs for writers pay?

Across the 42 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $76,910 a year, from $44,660 at the bottom to $166,790 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.

How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?

5 of the 42 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).