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Writers Job Overview

Writers create a wide variety of written materials. Writers and authors use words to convey information, ideas or story lines. Writers and authors develop original written content for magazines, newsletters, books, advertisements, online publications and other types of media.

Their written content is classified as fiction or nonfiction. Writers are categorized by the type of written materials they create such as screenwriters, playwrights, biographers, novelists and textbook writers. Many writers are self-employed. Only writers who are paid to primarily write are included in the occupation.

Writers Schools and Degrees

Many schools offer degrees in journalism, English and communications.

Job Requirements

Employers typically prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor's degree. Many employers prefer to hire individuals who have a degree in journalism, communications or English. However, individuals with other types of backgrounds who demonstrate good writing skills may also obtain a writing position. Writers who want to focus on a specific subject may need to have experience or formal training in the topic.

Nature of Work

• Gather information
• Choose subject or theme for a writing project
• Confer with publishers and clients to discuss revisions
• Provide sources and citations in their texts

Writers Jobs and Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 15 percent employment growth from 2008 to 2018 for writers and authors.

The major employers of writers are shown below:

• Professional, scientific and technical services
• Periodicals
• Newspapers
• Advertising and public relations
• Book and directory publishers

In 2008, the median annual earnings for salaried writers and authors was $53,070.

Job Numbers and Growth

There were about 135,000 writers across the US in 2008. Unemployment for workers was considered high in the recent past, relative to other occupations. The percentage of employees unemployed in 2008 was 4%.

Area Job Conditions

The cities with the most writers per capita are Missoula (Montana), Rochester (Minnesota), and Washington (District of Columbia), while the worst cities are Allentown (Pennsylvania), El Paso (Texas), and Columbia (South Carolina).

The highest salaries for workers are in and around Anchorage (Alaska), San Diego (California), and Bethesda (Maryland). The lowest-paying areas are Shreveport (Louisiana), Augusta (Georgia), and Erie (Pennsylvania).

Training and Education

Education or job training for employees typically involves a bachelor's degree. At least 84% of writers had a degree of four or more years. About 12% of workers had some college below a bachelor's degree. An estimated 4% of employees had just a high-school diploma. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

An estimated 22% of writers work part-time. An estimated 66% of workers were self-employed.

Writers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin