Pay by state · 44 states
Writer and Author Salary by State (2026)
Writers and Authors earn the most in District of Columbia at $129,300 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $43,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $76,910. All 44 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $129,300District of Columbia
- National median
- $76,910BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $43,440Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 44of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Writer and Author salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of writers and authors OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $129,300 | $100,320 | $158,020 | 1,050 | $117,651 |
| 2 | MDMaryland | $104,330 | $77,020 | $140,670 | 540 | $99,401 |
| 3 | CTConnecticut | $98,460 | $73,610 | $129,260 | 480 | $95,029 |
| 4 | VTVermont | $94,430 | $79,920 | $107,590 | 110 | $96,398 |
| 5 | LALouisiana | $89,520 | $55,860 | $105,970 | 480 | $101,489 |
| 6 | CACalifornia | $86,480 | $75,530 | $127,870 | 8,390 | $78,107 |
| 7 | WAWashington | $85,700 | $65,330 | $109,000 | 770 | $80,084 |
| 8 | MAMassachusetts | $85,260 | $67,770 | $108,030 | 1,350 | $80,619 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $85,000 | $64,730 | $104,000 | 1,530 | $84,072 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $81,590 | $60,610 | $103,120 | 1,180 | $74,987 |
| 11 | OROregon | $80,540 | $52,620 | $104,010 | 950 | $77,921 |
| 12 | PAPennsylvania | $77,410 | $54,030 | $102,480 | 1,080 | $79,336 |
| 13 | COColorado | $76,830 | $51,710 | $95,420 | 1,300 | $74,555 |
| 14 | INIndiana | $75,820 | $59,080 | $90,590 | 450 | $81,239 |
| 15 | GAGeorgia | $74,710 | $58,700 | $99,260 | 820 | $77,586 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $72,810 | $61,970 | $86,390 | 720 | $73,828 |
| 17 | NHNew Hampshire | $71,830 | $50,750 | $98,550 | 180 | $68,958 |
| 18 | RIRhode Island | $70,190 | $56,180 | $84,170 | 110 | $68,625 |
| 19 | TXTexas | $69,990 | $53,950 | $96,260 | 2,320 | $72,112 |
| 20 | ILIllinois | $68,220 | $43,440 | $97,280 | 2,640 | $68,249 |
| 21 | FLFlorida | $68,080 | $47,410 | $93,100 | 3,010 | $65,832 |
| 22 | ALAlabama | $66,950 | $51,840 | $93,550 | 180 | $75,375 |
| 23 | OHOhio | $65,930 | $55,680 | $81,060 | 830 | $71,065 |
| 24 | KSKansas | $65,840 | $43,740 | $72,700 | 240 | $73,100 |
| 25 | NENebraska | $65,470 | $55,290 | $77,260 | 240 | $72,661 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $64,530 | $53,800 | $86,240 | 410 | $65,271 |
| 27 | WVWest Virginia | $64,410 | $47,530 | $72,340 | 110 | $71,969 |
| 28 | WIWisconsin | $64,370 | $51,710 | $77,220 | 710 | $68,410 |
| 29 | NVNevada | $63,910 | $48,130 | $74,940 | 190 | $63,923 |
| 30 | NCNorth Carolina | $63,660 | $47,940 | $83,360 | 1,810 | $67,489 |
| 31 | IAIowa | $61,010 | $50,280 | $69,220 | 290 | $69,518 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $58,870 | $47,120 | $78,900 | 1,260 | $64,080 |
| 33 | OKOklahoma | $58,770 | $43,640 | $76,950 | 220 | $66,903 |
| 34 | MOMissouri | $58,140 | $48,130 | $77,570 | 600 | $64,019 |
| 35 | SDSouth Dakota | $56,700 | $54,080 | $59,710 | 60 | $64,006 |
| 36 | IDIdaho | $56,360 | $48,770 | $69,120 | 90 | $59,019 |
| 37 | AZArizona | $55,990 | $47,340 | $74,570 | 600 | $55,613 |
| 38 | MSMississippi | $54,180 | $41,600 | $63,770 | 130 | $62,310 |
| 39 | SCSouth Carolina | $51,920 | $41,610 | $76,330 | 520 | $55,382 |
| 40 | NDNorth Dakota | $50,860 | $47,480 | $65,590 | 80 | $57,172 |
| 41 | WYWyoming | $49,650 | $41,560 | $57,600 | N/A | $53,565 |
| 42 | KYKentucky | $48,780 | $40,760 | $64,550 | 350 | $54,104 |
| 43 | ARArkansas | $47,970 | $39,150 | $62,790 | 270 | $55,178 |
| 44 | PRPuerto Rico | $43,440 | $37,010 | $47,590 | 90 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Writers and Authors, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $129,300, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $117,651.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Writer and Author pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Writers and Authors the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Writers and Authors at $129,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Maryland ($104,330) and Connecticut ($98,460).
Which state pays Writers and Authors the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Writers and Authors at $43,440 a year, $85,860 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Writers and Authors earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $117,651 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $129,300. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.