How Much Do Staff Writers Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary staff writers make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for staff writers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of staff writers are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much staff writers can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Staff Writers
According to data from 2023, there were about 44,793 positions for staff writers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for staff writers was reported to be $57,491. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 10,405 job postings related to positions for staff writers.
How Much Money Do Staff Writers Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money staff writers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for staff writers.
Annual Salary for Staff Writers
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for staff writers and related professions earned about $31,554 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $160,368 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for staff writers in the United States in 2023 was $57,491.
Annual Salary Range For Staff Writers In 2023
Hourly Salary for Staff Writers
The BLS also breaks down compensation for staff writers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for staff writers in 2023 was $28. Lowest hourly earners took home $15 while the highest reported hourly salaries for staff writers was $77.
Hourly Salary Range For Staff Writers In 2023
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Advertised Compensation for Staff Writers
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for staff writers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for staff writers.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Staff Writers
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 13,905 job postings related to staff writers, advertised salary was included in 3,629 of them, which was 26%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for staff writers was $60,800 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Staff Writers
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for staff writers. Based on 35% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for staff writers in the United States is about $29.
Salary Trend for Staff Writers
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for staff writers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for staff writers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for staff writers have increased 62%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Staff Writers
What's the Job Growth for Staff Writers?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for staff writers over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 44,786 jobs for staff writers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 1,163 jobs will be removed. That's a 2.6% decrease over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Staff Writers
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about staff writers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for staff writers.
What do staff writers do?
Staff Writers: How do you become one?
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