Author earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level author earnings begin at:

$43.99 per hour

$91,500 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level author earnings begin at:

$33.60 per hour

$69,890 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level author earnings begin at:

$26.24 per hour

$54,580 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level author earnings begin at:

$19.97 per hour

$41,540 per year

10th percentile

Starting level author earnings begin at:

$15.75 per hour

$32,750 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 6% more than similar careers in Michigan. On average, they make less than copywriters but more than journalists.

Career Median Salary
Copywriter salary $55K
Television writer salary $55K
Author salary $55K
Editor salary $53K
Journalist salary $37K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)