Writers and Authors Salary - How Much Does a Writers and Authors Make?

DOL Median Salary

$60,000

From 1,403 DOL filings

BLS Median Salary

$72,270

BLS OEWS 2024 survey

Total Employers

689

Companies with DOL filings

Total Employment

47,800

Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$60,000

DOL-Filed Salary Range

$19,656$45,000$60,000$85,000$225,000

This figure comes from 1,403 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$72,270

BLS Survey Salary Range

$41,080$52,890$72,270$98,320$133,680

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 47,800 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 17% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Writers and Authors

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings

Rank	Employer	Median Salary	Filings	vs Market
1	BBDO	$150,000	14	+107.6%
2	72andSunny Partners LLC	$150,000	9	+107.6%
3	Anomaly Partners LLC	$130,000	15	+79.9%
4	Facebook Inc.	$130,000	31	+79.9%
5	Johannes Leonardo LLC	$127,500	7	+76.4%
6	J WALTER THOMPSON	$112,500	5	+55.7%
7	R/GA Media Group, Inc.	$110,000	17	+52.2%
8	TBWA Worldwide Inc.	$110,000	7	+52.2%
9	Dentsu McGarry Bowen, LLC	$110,000	9	+52.2%
10	Apple Inc.	$110,000	7	+52.2%
11	McCann-Erickson USA, Inc.	$110,000	5	+52.2%
12	Droga5 LLC	$105,000	23	+45.3%
13	Young & Rubicam LLC	$97,500	6	+34.9%
14	Havas Health, Inc.	$95,000	7	+31.5%
15	Aesop USA Inc.	$92,375	6	+27.8%
16	PIRO, INC.	$90,000	6	+24.5%
17	Wieden + Kennedy, Inc.	$90,000	6	+24.5%
18	CRISPIN PORTER & BOGUSKY, LLC	$89,000	8	+23.2%
19	WIEDEN+KENNEDY, INC.	$88,712	6	+22.8%
20	Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, Inc.	$85,000	6	+17.6%
21	J. WALTER THOMPSON U.S.A.	$85,000	5	+17.6%
22	Bartle Bogle Hegarty, LLC	$80,000	10	+10.7%
23	Leo Burnett Company, LLC	$80,000	7	+10.7%
24	Mother Industries LLC	$80,000	9	+10.7%
25	Blizzard Entertainment Inc.	$76,513	6	+5.9%
26	CONILL ADVERTISING, INC.	$75,986	9	+5.1%
27	BuzzFeed, Inc.	$75,000	10	+3.8%
28	ADASIA COMMUNICATIONS	$73,733	5	+2%
29	Square	$73,674	6	+1.9%
30	THE COLONY MEDIA INC	$70,000	7	-3.1%
31	INTRIGUE, INC	$67,600	5	-6.5%
32	Saatchi & Saatchi North America LLC	$67,500	10	-6.6%
33	R-PAC INTERNATIONAL HOLDING CO,LLC	$65,000	6	-10.1%
34	Infinite Computer Solutions, Inc.	$61,294	5	-15.2%
35	AKQA, Inc.	$60,539	17	-16.2%
36	BYD America LLC	$60,000	5	-17%
37	Huge LLC	$60,000	8	-17%
38	FCB Worldwide Inc.	$58,858	11	-18.6%
39	Grey Global Group LLC	$58,727	6	-18.7%
40	14 W ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, LLC	$57,000	7	-21.1%
41	CYVERASIA INC	$48,506	6	-32.9%
42	Food Gusto Inc.	$47,540	6	-34.2%
43	BLUM AND MCCANN	$47,466	7	-34.3%
44	522 W 38TH ST NY LLC	$46,956	5	-35%
45	LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL I BROOKS, APC	$44,075	7	-39%
46	Pravda SEO Inc	$43,472	5	-39.9%
47	Takuyo Corporation	$43,014	9	-40.5%
48	UNIVA AMERICA, INC.	$42,931	5	-40.6%
49	CRANSTEN, INC.	$32,000	5	-55.7%
50	EDUARDO G. DAVID JR.	$24,502	6	-66.1%

View all companies hiring Writers and Authors

Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs National	Filings	Employers
Menlo Park, CA	$118,895	+98.2%	21	2
SANTA MONICA, CA	$83,000	+38.3%	17	13
San Francisco, CA	$73,840	+23.1%	69	39
Portland, OR	$71,739	+19.6%	15	6
Chicago, IL	$71,600	+19.3%	35	22
New York, NY	$70,000	+16.7%	295	164
New York, NE	$67,600	+12.7%	39	32
Irvine, CA	$62,005	+3.3%	13	7
Boston, MA	$60,000	0%	14	11
Brooklyn, NY	$58,500	-2.5%	19	13
Torrance, CA	$50,000	-16.7%	21	9
Miami, FL	$49,325	-17.8%	20	16
Los Angeles, CA	$47,000	-21.7%	49	33
Honolulu, HI	$41,870	-30.2%	12	8

Salary by State

State	Median	vs National	Filings
Colorado	$82,000	N/A	8
Oregon	$71,739	-7.8%	17
Ohio	$70,000	+3.6%	5
Nebraska	$67,454	+5.2%	55
Washington	$67,327	-21.9%	4
New York	$65,166	N/A	332
California	$62,109	-22.8%	301
North Carolina	$61,589	-3.3%	5
Illinois	$60,000	-9.3%	49
Connecticut	$59,738	-26.2%	2
Massachusetts	$55,000	-29.9%	27
Michigan	$55,000	-11%	7
Pennsylvania	$54,683	-6%	9
West Virginia	$52,000	-22.4%	1
Georgia	$52,000	-18.8%	3
Tennessee	$50,000	-14.7%	1
Florida	$48,000	-27.1%	53
Maryland	$47,840	-55.5%	7
New Jersey	$47,540	-37.2%	19
Virginia	$46,800	-42.2%	13
Maine	$46,000	-29.2%	1
District of Columbia	$45,178	-62.7%	5
Texas	$45,000	-37.2%	33
Alabama	$45,000	-21.2%	1
Hawaii	$41,870	N/A	12
Missouri	$38,589	-34.6%	2
Indiana	$36,421	-41.3%	1
Nevada	$34,000	-35.5%	4
Utah	$32,000	-47.6%	10
South Dakota	$29,120	-50.4%	1

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Writers and Authors positions, 63% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 17% required a Master's degree, and 15% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings

Employer	Most Common Education	Median Salary
Facebook Inc.	Not specified	$130,000
Droga5 LLC	Bachelor's	$105,000
R/GA Media Group, Inc.	Not specified	$110,000
AKQA, Inc.	Not specified	$60,539
Anomaly Partners LLC	Not specified	$130,000
BBDO	Not specified	$150,000
FCB Worldwide Inc.	Not specified	$58,858
Bartle Bogle Hegarty, LLC	Not specified	$80,000
BuzzFeed, Inc.	Not specified	$75,000
Saatchi & Saatchi North America LLC	Not specified	$67,500

Salary by Industry

Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)

The highest-paying industry for Writers and Authors is Professional and Technical Services at $78,707. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Wholesale Trade at $48,778.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Writers and Authors make?

Based on 1,403 DOL filings, the median salary for a Writers and Authors is $60,000, ranging from $45,000 to $85,000.

What is the highest salary for a Writers and Authors?

The 90th percentile salary is $133,680 according to BLS data.

Which city pays the most for Writers and Authors?

Based on DOL filings, Menlo Park, CA offers the highest median at $118,895.

Does this data include all Writers and Authors salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Writers and Authors positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

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Advertising disclosure

Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.

Writers and Authors Salary in the United States