Skip to content
TryHired.
Role hub · Writers and Authors

Writer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of writers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$76,910
Hourly
$36.98
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Writers originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material. The median pay is $76,910 a year ($36.98 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$76,910
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
47,940
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Writers and Authors (O*NET-SOC 27-3043.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Writers

SalaryWriter salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →ResumeWriter resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsWriter interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Career changeWriter career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What writers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
  2. Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
  3. Present drafts and ideas to clients.
  4. Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.
  5. Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
  6. Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
  7. Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
  8. Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

WritingcoreReading ComprehensioncoreTime ManagementcoreActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingSocial Perceptiveness

Knowledge areas: English Language, Communications and Media, Administrative.

Tools and technology

Software writers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • CanvaGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • TikTokVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Premiere ProVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe After EffectsVideo creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology
  • AsanaCloud-based data access and sharing softwareHot technology
  • FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • FigmaGraphical user interface development softwareHot technology
  • Google AnalyticsData mining softwareHot technology

Also called: Copywriter, Advertising Copywriter, Advertising Writer, Author, Content Marketing Writer, Freelance Copywriter.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).