Arts, design, media and sports
Writers and authors
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
Median pay
$76,910
Growth to 2035
0%
little or no change
Openings a year
11,900
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Writers and authors
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Writers and authors: 29% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
- Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
- Present drafts and ideas to clients.
- Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.
- Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
- Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
- Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
- Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.
Also called: Advertising Copywriter · Advertising Writer · Author · Content Marketing Writer · Copywriter · Freelance Copywriter · Freelance Writer · Search Engine Optimization Copywriter (SEO Copywriter)
Outlook and AI
Writers and authors held 140,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 139,900 by 2035 (0%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as more written works are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, substituting for some writers.
Compare with
- Writers and authors vs. Public relations specialist
- Writers and authors vs. Advertising sales agent
- Writers and authors vs. Marketing specialist
- Writers and authors vs. Editor
- Writers and authors vs. Advertising and promotions managers
- Writers and authors vs. Art director
- Writers and authors vs. Producers and directors
- Writers and authors vs. News analysts, reporters, and journalists
- Writers and authors vs. Technical writer