The highest-paying states for writers and authors (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of writers and authors in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $106,030, California is the highest paying state for writers and authors. It is followed by District of Columbia (average annual salary $89,810). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of writers and authors in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $106,030 |
$50,130 | 12,000 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $89,810 |
$56,270 | 1,440 |
| 3 | New York | $85,020 |
$45,530 | 6,950 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $83,590 |
$43,690 | 1,410 |
| 5 | Washington | $82,300 |
$49,070 | 1,090 |
| 6 | Maryland | $79,930 |
$36,830 | 860 |
| 7 | Oregon | $79,850 |
$46,930 | 970 |
| 8 | Colorado | $75,790 |
$34,880 | 1,080 |
| 9 | Virginia | $75,540 |
$38,330 | 1,590 |
| 10 | Delaware | $73,050 |
$55,590 | 40 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $72,850 |
$39,370 | 1,440 |
| 12 | Illinois | $70,510 |
$37,450 | 2,800 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $69,720 |
$34,210 | 880 |
| 14 | Kansas | $69,650 |
$31,390 | 130 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $67,490 |
$32,800 | 1,120 |
| 16 | Alaska | $67,380 |
$40,520 | 60 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $65,000 |
$42,120 | 1,990 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $64,510 |
$36,930 | 190 |
| 19 | Georgia | $64,480 |
$37,210 | 1,390 |
| 20 | Vermont | $63,810 |
$44,470 | 130 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $62,820 |
$30,540 | 120 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $62,710 |
$29,990 | 260 |
| 23 | Maine | $62,560 |
$35,580 | 90 |
| 24 | Missouri | $61,990 |
$42,280 | 600 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $61,860 |
$42,860 | 40 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $61,700 |
$31,650 | 350 |
| 27 | Texas | $60,730 |
$35,300 | 2,460 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $60,460 |
$30,750 | 30 |
| 29 | Montana | $58,360 |
$26,210 | 110 |
| 30 | Arizona | $58,150 |
$33,080 | 720 |
| 31 | Nevada | $58,140 |
$39,610 | 160 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $57,440 |
$36,170 | 930 |
| 33 | Alabama | $55,200 |
$37,240 | 280 |
| 34 | Idaho | $54,820 |
$20,850 | 190 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $54,770 |
$37,690 | 620 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $53,540 |
$21,890 | 260 |
| 37 | Michigan | $52,840 |
$29,010 | 910 |
| 38 | Florida | $52,730 |
$35,680 | 2,500 |
| 39 | Indiana | $52,210 |
$21,770 | 600 |
| 40 | Ohio | $51,860 |
$33,650 | 1,120 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $51,660 |
$29,990 | 40 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $50,870 |
$29,650 | 120 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $50,640 |
$42,540 | 50 |
| 44 | Utah | $50,370 |
$29,580 | 940 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $49,980 |
$35,890 | 1,450 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $48,760 |
$23,050 | 210 |
| 47 | Iowa | $46,780 |
$26,590 | 380 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $46,740 |
$27,250 | 200 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $44,280 |
$22,980 | 220 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $43,010 |
$29,760 | 420 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $42,000 |
$27,960 | 110 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $37,140 |
$31,810 | 180 |