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Writers & authors

Detailed Occupation

2024 Workforce

183k

Average Age

42.5

Estimated Job Growth

−0.285%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$76,910

Average Male Salary

$90,334

Average Female Salary

$67,734

About

Writers & authors are most often employed by the Independent artists, writers, and performers industry. The average yearly wage for Writers & authors was $76,910 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Writers & authors are Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (East Central & Hollywood) PUMA, CA, Los Angeles County--LA City (East Central/Silver Lake, Echo Park & Westlake) PUMA, CA, and Los Angeles County--LA City (Mount Washington, Highland Park & Glassell Park) PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Writers & authors are Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (East Central & Hollywood) PUMA, CA, NYC-Brooklyn Community District 8--Crown Heights (North) PUMA, NY, and Los Angeles County--LA City (East Central/Silver Lake, Echo Park & Westlake) PUMA, CA.

Photo by Lane Pearman

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Writers & authors workforce. Writers & authors workforce in 2024 was 183,220 people, of which 59.4% were women and 40.6% were men.

Writers & authors are paid most in Clallam & Jefferson Counties PUMA, WA but are relatively concentrated in Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (East Central & Hollywood) PUMA, CA.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

74,391

Male Workforce

± 6.69k

108,829

Female Workforce

± 8.1k

The Writers & authors workforce in 2024 was 183,220 people (59.4% women and 40.6% men). This implies an average annual growth of 26.2% between 2014 (145,174) and 2024 (183,220).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Writers & authors.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were California ($118,769), Delaware ($116,112), and District of Columbia ($98,479).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$76,910

AVERAGE WAGE

#126 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Writers & authors earned an average of $76,910, $7,033 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Writers & authors in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Writers & authors had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.476, which is higher than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly for Writers & authors (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Writers & authors compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Writers & authors and on wages for those in the field. Independent artists, writers, and performers is the industry that employs the most Writers & authors, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Writers & authors, by average wage, is Professional & commercial equipment & supplies merchant wholesalers ($160,031).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

183k

2024 Workforce

± 10,503

3.25%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 7.92%

This graphic shows the share of Writers & authors employed by various industries. Independent artists, writers, and performers employs the largest share of Writers & authors at 43.6%, followed by Advertising, public relations & related services with 24.7% and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges with 17.3%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Writers & authors in the US. The workforce of Writers & authors in 2024 was 183,220 people, with 59.4% woman, and 40.6% men. The average age of male Writers & authors in the workforce is 43.7 and of female Writers & authors is 41.7, and the most common race/ethnicity for Writers & authors is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Writers & authors in 2024 was 183,220 people, with 59.4% woman, and 40.6% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (25,084 people), 25 to 29 years (24,723 people), and 35 to 39 years (22,875 people). Among them they concentrated 39.7% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 8.4% of Writers & authors workers were Hispanic and 91.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (42.2%), Puerto Rican (12.3)%, and Cuban (8.43)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 77.3% of the Writers & authors workforce were White, of which 58.7% were women and 41.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (8.51%) and Black (7.25%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Writers & authors from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Writers & authors is Communications but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were English.

Among the necessary skills for Writers & authors, Writing stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Writers & authors need more than the average amount of Writing.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Writers & authors in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Communications (31,596 people), English (30,968 people), and Business (14,178 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Writers & authors workers were Bachelors Degree (94,312 people), Graduate Degree (57,144 people), and Some college (16,903 people).

The graphic shows the Writers & authors workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Writers & authors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Writers & authors need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Writers and Authors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.48%, but Writers and Authors are expected to see a growth of −0.285% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Writers and Authors.

−0.285%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.48%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Writers & authors. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.48%, the average rate of national job growth.

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Writers & authors

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Writers & authors

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Employment

Employment Over Time

Employment by Location

Yearly Wage Ranking

Wage Distribution

Industry

Occupations by Industries

Diversity

Gender and Age

Ethnicity

Races

Education & Skills

Majors

Education Levels

Skills

Projections

Job Growth

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