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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

27-3043 Writers and Authors

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material. Excludes “News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists” (27-3023), “Public Relations Specialists” (27-3031), and “Technical Writers” (27-3042).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
45,860 2.0 % $35.51 $73,860 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.18 $22.42 $30.39 $41.88 $58.87
Annual Wage (2) $33,660 $46,640 $63,200 $87,110 $122,450


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 6,920 1.41 $37.59 $78,200
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 4,760 1.56 $30.50 $63,440
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 3,980 7.47 $46.06 $95,800
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 3,110 0.21 $35.25 $73,330
Motion Picture and Video Industries 2,570 0.60 $42.93 $89,300

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 3,980 7.47 $46.06 $95,800
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 4,760 1.56 $30.50 $63,440
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 6,920 1.41 $37.59 $78,200
Other Information Services 2,530 0.78 $31.33 $65,160
Radio and Television Broadcasting 1,390 0.65 $34.27 $71,290

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,030 0.05 $47.71 $99,240
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures 60 0.22 $46.68 $97,090
Civic and Social Organizations 250 0.07 $46.11 $95,910
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 3,980 7.47 $46.06 $95,800
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 190 0.12 $44.58 $92,720


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 7,840 0.45 1.44 $43.74 $90,970
New York 7,680 0.81 2.58 $43.88 $91,280
Texas 2,580 0.21 0.67 $27.67 $57,550
Florida 1,910 0.22 0.70 $30.80 $64,070
Illinois 1,730 0.29 0.92 $32.13 $66,820




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,240 1.71 5.48 $49.99 $103,980
New York 7,680 0.81 2.58 $43.88 $91,280
Vermont 180 0.58 1.86 $30.04 $62,480
Utah 820 0.55 1.75 $24.34 $50,630
New Hampshire 310 0.47 1.51 $28.86 $60,030




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,240 1.71 5.48 $49.99 $103,980
New York 7,680 0.81 2.58 $43.88 $91,280
California 7,840 0.45 1.44 $43.74 $90,970
Connecticut 490 0.30 0.95 $39.78 $82,750
New Jersey 1,310 0.32 1.03 $38.79 $80,690





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,010 0.83 2.66 $44.60 $92,780
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,460 0.72 2.29 $46.38 $96,460
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,260 0.71 2.27 $45.22 $94,060
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,620 0.35 1.11 $32.53 $67,650
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,410 0.57 1.83 $44.74 $93,060
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,140 0.56 1.80 $32.90 $68,430
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,040 0.37 1.19 $36.96 $76,870
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 990 0.27 0.86 $28.60 $59,500
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 980 0.34 1.09 $32.05 $66,660
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 800 0.29 0.93 $32.85 $68,330




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Provo-Orem, UT 310 1.20 3.86 $19.59 $40,740
Ithaca, NY 50 0.99 3.16 $32.83 $68,290
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,010 0.83 2.66 $44.60 $92,780
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,460 0.72 2.29 $46.38 $96,460
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 90 0.71 2.26 $29.76 $61,890
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,260 0.71 2.27 $45.22 $94,060
Manchester, NH 80 0.70 2.24 $27.10 $56,370
Dover-Durham, NH-ME 40 0.67 2.14 $35.56 $73,960
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 70 0.67 2.14 $32.44 $67,470
Ann Arbor, MI 150 0.67 2.14 $27.07 $56,310




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,460 0.72 2.29 $46.38 $96,460
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,260 0.71 2.27 $45.22 $94,060
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,410 0.57 1.83 $44.74 $93,060
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,010 0.83 2.66 $44.60 $92,780
Boulder, CO 90 0.49 1.56 $42.64 $88,700
Portland-South Portland, ME 40 0.17 0.55 $42.61 $88,630
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 250 0.60 1.92 $42.41 $88,210
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 400 0.35 1.14 $42.17 $87,710
Charlottesville, VA 40 0.39 1.24 $41.69 $86,710
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 180 0.17 0.55 $40.68 $84,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 70 0.24 0.77 $21.36 $44,430
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 1.76 (8) (8)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.49 1.59 $26.93 $56,020
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 50 0.23 0.75 $20.55 $42,750
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 40 0.31 0.98 $12.63 $26,270

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 1.76 (8) (8)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.49 1.59 $26.93 $56,020
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 30 0.45 1.45 $33.77 $70,250
Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area 40 0.41 1.32 $22.08 $45,920
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.17 $29.89 $62,180

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 30 0.45 1.45 $33.77 $70,250
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.17 $29.89 $62,180
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 30 0.20 0.65 $27.41 $57,010
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.49 1.59 $26.93 $56,020
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 30 0.09 0.29 $25.38 $52,790


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020