Author earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level author earnings begin at:

$37.73 per hour

$78,480 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level author earnings begin at:

$29.92 per hour

$62,230 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level author earnings begin at:

$25.18 per hour

$52,380 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level author earnings begin at:

$19.23 per hour

$40,000 per year

10th percentile

Starting level author earnings begin at:

$16.06 per hour

$33,390 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 about the same as related careers in Nevada. On average, they make less than technical writers but more than proofreaders.

Career Median Salary
Technical writer salary $64K
Editor salary $50K
Copywriter salary $52K
Television writer salary $52K
Author salary $52K
Journalist salary $41K
Proofreader salary $43K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)