The average wage for an author in Illinois is around $26.39 per hour.
Avg Wage
Authors earn an average hourly wage of $26.39.
Salaries typically start from $11.56 per hour and go up to $60.25 per hour.
2% below national average Updated in 2018
Author earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level author earnings begin at:
$60.25 per hour
$125,316 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level author earnings begin at:
$40.75 per hour
$84,764 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level author earnings begin at:
$26.39 per hour
$54,898 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level author earnings begin at:
$17.09 per hour
$35,555 per year
10th percentile
Starting level author earnings begin at:
$11.56 per hour
$24,049 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Author salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $75,400 |
| Connecticut | $74,860 |
| New York | $73,480 |
| Maryland | $67,120 |
| Virginia | $66,340 |
| Massachusetts | $64,380 |
| Alaska | $64,330 |
| Vermont | $64,140 |
| New Jersey | $63,290 |
| Rhode Island | $62,660 |
| Minnesota | $61,880 |
| Washington | $61,060 |
| West Virginia | $59,970 |
| Oregon | $59,960 |
| North Carolina | $57,510 |
| Georgia | $56,420 |
| Kansas | $56,052 |
| Indiana | $56,029 |
| Colorado | $55,640 |
| Missouri | $55,250 |
| Illinois | $54,898 |
| Michigan | $54,580 |
| Texas | $53,730 |
| New Hampshire | $53,270 |
| Mississippi | $52,760 |
| Delaware | $52,510 |
| Nevada | $52,380 |
| Maine | $51,600 |
| Tennessee | $51,160 |
| Idaho | $50,844 |
| Hawaii | $50,740 |
| Wisconsin | $50,190 |
| Iowa | $49,440 |
| Arizona | $49,025 |
| North Dakota | $48,580 |
| Utah | $48,460 |
| Oklahoma | $48,190 |
| Kentucky | $47,927 |
| Florida | $47,190 |
| Alabama | $47,028 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,980 |
| New Mexico | $46,610 |
| Montana | $45,570 |
| Ohio | $45,230 |
| Wyoming | $44,480 |
| Arkansas | $43,450 |
| South Dakota | $42,620 |
| Nebraska | $38,990 |
| Louisiana | $36,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,050 |
| District of Columbia | $100,210 |
How do author salaries compare to similar careers?
Authors earn 10% more than similar careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than television writers but more than proofreaders.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Television writer salary | $59K |
| Copywriter salary | $55K |
| Author salary | $55K |
| Journalist salary | $48K |
| Technical writer salary | $54K |
| Editor salary | $48K |
| Proofreader salary | $46K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)