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Schools and Degrees

Many schools offer degrees in journalism, English and communications.

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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.

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.

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

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).

Part-Time and Self Employment

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

Career Videos

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

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Birmingham $48,000 80 -47%

Alaska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anchorage $76,000 50 +0%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Phoenix $69,000 370 -33%
Tucson $56,000 80 -24%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Little Rock $63,000 30 -72%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fresno $57,000 30 -69%
Los Angeles $100,000 3,530 +179%
Oakland $63,000 210 -32%
Oxnard $85,000 50 -45%
Riverside $53,000 240 -36%
Sacramento $64,000 160 -41%
San Diego $58,000 260 -36%
San Francisco $68,000 690 +123%
San Jose $65,000 260 -7%
Santa Ana $66,000 240 -47%
Santa Barbara $98,000 70 +40%
Santa Rosa $53,000 50 -4%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $68,000 60 +32%
Colorado Springs $43,000 100 +31%
Denver $71,000 330 -15%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $67,000 180 +37%
Hartford $70,000 190 +7%
New Haven $61,000 70 -16%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wilmington $58,000 90 -10%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $75,000 2,150 +183%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $44,000 40 -31%
Deltona $61,000 30 -34%
Fort Lauderdale $50,000 180 -17%
Jacksonville $45,000 120 -36%
Miami $50,000 320 +5%
Orlando $56,000 350 +11%
Sarasota $59,000 80 +7%
Tallahassee $44,000 80 +67%
Tampa $50,000 300 -16%
West Palm Beach $42,000 150 -6%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlanta $62,000 610 -15%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $57,000 90 -34%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chicago $63,000 1,330 +13%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $48,000 40 +105%
Fort Wayne $46,000 50 -19%
Gary $26,000 60 -27%
Indianapolis $42,000 330 +18%
South Bend $37,000 40 +5%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Des Moines $56,000 80 -21%
Waterloo $52,000 40 +64%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wichita $37,000 80 -9%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lexington $41,000 40 -45%
Louisville $44,000 110 -42%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baton Rouge $37,000 30 -74%
New Orleans $51,000 170 +4%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Portland $47,000 80 +33%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $66,000 360 -12%
Bethesda $73,000 290 +62%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boston $65,000 700 +29%
Springfield $49,000 90 -1%
Worcester $59,000 40 -48%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $54,000 80 +60%
Detroit $53,000 100 -52%
Grand Rapids $45,000 60 -48%
Kalamazoo $46,000 40 0%
Niles $46,000 30 +88%
Warren $55,000 250 -26%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Minneapolis $62,000 1,140 +105%
Rochester $57,000 50 +68%
St Cloud $46,000 30 +9%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $42,000 40 +28%
Jackson $39,000 80 +4%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Kansas City $58,000 530 +68%
Springfield $45,000 50 -13%
St Louis $55,000 460 +10%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Missoula $40,000 40 +180%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $50,000 50 +5%
Omaha $54,000 140 -4%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Las Vegas $58,000 320 +21%
Reno $62,000 50 -13%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $40,000 30 0%
Rochester $47,000 60 +308%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Camden $59,000 80 -51%
Edison $57,000 220 -31%
Newark $61,000 330 +6%
Trenton $50,000 100 +45%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $52,000 110 -7%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $64,000 100 -28%
Buffalo $58,000 120 -30%
Nassau $64,000 470 +19%
New York $91,000 5,880 +261%
Poughkeepsie $66,000 50 -33%
Rochester $73,000 130 -17%
Syracuse 100 +4%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charlotte $46,000 90 -66%
Durham $57,000 110 +31%
Greensboro $55,000 80 -27%
Raleigh $65,000 130 -19%
Winston Salem $62,000 60 -6%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $42,000 100 +2%
Cincinnati $50,000 160 -49%
Cleveland $59,000 230 -28%
Columbus $60,000 340 +19%
Dayton $49,000 70 -41%
Toledo $59,000 30 -67%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Oklahoma City $43,000 150 -16%
Tulsa $42,000 140 +6%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Eugene $60,000 70 +68%
Medford $39,000 50 +128%
Portland $60,000 390 +22%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $47,000 70 -34%
Harrisburg $66,000 70 -29%
Philadelphia $58,000 570 -4%
Pittsburgh $59,000 210 -41%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $63,000 120 -30%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Columbia $35,000 30 -72%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Knoxville $49,000 80 -22%
Memphis $45,000 90 -53%
Nashville $37,000 270 +17%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Austin $74,000 470 +92%
Dallas $57,000 520 -21%
Fort Worth $66,000 150 -44%
Houston $48,000 460 -44%
San Antonio $57,000 100 -63%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ogden $50,000 40 -33%
Salt Lake City $39,000 150 -21%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $51,000 60 +84%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Richmond $63,000 190 0%
Virginia Beach $50,000 220 -7%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Seattle $71,000 860 +96%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $33,000 30 -30%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Green Bay $47,000 50 -1%
Madison $58,000 140 +35%
Milwaukee $50,000 350 +35%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Writers schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.