Writes scripts for feature films, television series and streaming shows, from original ideas or adapted material. BLS does not publish separate figures for writers and authors; it counts them within writer and author (SOC 27-3043), whose median pay is $76,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-3043
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Screenwriter in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,910a year, or $36.98/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $44KTop 10% $140K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 11,900140,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025140.3K
- Projected 2035139.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 140.3K Projected 2035 139.9K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Screenplay Writer, Television Writer, Staff Writer (Television), Feature Writer, Scriptwriter.
Pay
How much do Writers and Authors make?
Every screenwriter in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,910
Middle half earn $58,230 to $101,950
- 10th
- $44,310
- 25th
- $58,230
- 75th
- $101,950
- 90th
- $139,870
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $44,310 |
| 25th | $58,230 |
| Median | $76,910 |
| 75th | $101,950 |
| 90th | $139,870 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,910
- Median hourly wage
- $36.98/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $86,090
- People employed
- 47,940
Versus all US occupations
At $76,910, Writers and Authors earn 51% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,930 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 13% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $139,870 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,310, a gap of 3.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 53% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $129,300, and still leads at $117,651 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Writers and Authors the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $129,300 | $117,651 | 1,050 |
| 2Maryland | $104,330 | $99,401 | 540 |
| 3Connecticut | $98,460 | $95,029 | 480 |
| 4Vermont | $94,430 | $96,398 | 110 |
| 5Louisiana | $89,520 | $101,489 | 480 |
| 6California | $86,480 | $78,107 | 8,390 |
| 7Washington | $85,700 | $80,084 | 770 |
| 8Massachusetts | $85,260 | $80,619 | 1,350 |
| 9Virginia | $85,000 | $84,072 | 1,530 |
| 10New Jersey | $81,590 | $74,987 | 1,180 |
Job outlook
Is Screenwriter a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Writers and Authors | −0.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Writers and Authors to change -0.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 11,900 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 140,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Screenwriter
Many screenwriters study film, English or screenwriting, and graduate programs such as UCLA's MFA in Screenwriting are well regarded. Others are self-taught. Breaking in typically requires several polished sample scripts, entry through fellowships and competitions such as the Academy Nicholl Fellowships, and work as an assistant to writers, producers or agents.
Television writers often start as writers' assistants or script coordinators. Professional film and TV writers in the United States are typically members of the Writers Guild of America, which sets minimum terms for writing services.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Screenwriter do?
Screenwriters write the stories that become films and TV shows. Feature writers develop original screenplays or adapt novels, articles and true stories, often writing on assignment for studios and producers who hire them to write or rewrite a project. They go through many drafts, taking notes from producers, executives and directors.
Television writers usually work in a writers' room, breaking story arcs together with other writers and then writing individual episodes under the showrunner. Screenwriters must master structure, dialogue and visual storytelling within strict formatting conventions, and they spend much of their time pitching ideas to studios, streamers and production companies.
Day-to-day tasks
- Develop story ideas and outlines
- Write and revise screenplays and teleplays
- Adapt books, articles and true stories for the screen
- Pitch projects to producers, studios and streamers
- Break story arcs with other writers in a writers' room
- Incorporate notes from producers and executives
- Research settings, characters and subject matter
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Screenwriters work from home, offices or writers' rooms, mostly seated at a computer. Feature writers work on their own schedule with deadlines, while TV writers keep regular room hours during a season. Many juggle meetings, pitches and rewrites, and work is often irregular between assignments.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Writing5.0
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Writing | 5.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Time Management3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Persuasion3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Negotiation2.8
- Service Orientation2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.8 |
| Service Orientation | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphical user interface development software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Screenwriter?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AIE) built on O*NET's Writer and Author profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Screenwriter |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Artistic6.7
- Enterprising5.0
- Investigative4.1
- Conventional3.3
- Social2.9
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Screenwriter
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Sales and Related
- Business and Financial Operations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with writers and authors highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Screenwriter$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Screenwriter | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Screenwriter appears on
Questions
Screenwriter: frequently asked questions
How much do Writers and Authors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for writers and authors. It counts them within writer and author, whose median pay is $76,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $58,230 and $101,950, and the top 10% earn $139,870 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Screenwriter?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Writers and Authors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Screenwriter a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 11,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Screenwriter do?
Screenwriters write the stories that become films and TV shows. A typical task: develop story ideas and outlines. Employers most often ask for Cloud-based data access and sharing software, Data base management system software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Writers and Authors the most?
The highest state medians for Writers and Authors are District of Columbia ($129,300), Maryland ($104,330), Connecticut ($98,460) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Screenwriter?
O*NET scores Writers and Authors highest on the Artistic, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, INFP, ENTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.