Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2003

27-3043 Writers and Authors

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material. Exclude "Public Relations Specialists" (27-3031) and "Technical Writers" (27-3042).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
44,380 4.9 % $25.49 $53,020 3.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.82 $14.58 $20.84 $29.57 $44.14
Annual Wage (2) $22,510 $30,330 $43,340 $61,500 $91,820

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Newspaper, book, and directory publishers 11,770 $21.12 $43,920
Advertising and related services 7,390 $32.56 $67,730
Radio and television broadcasting 2,550 $20.00 $41,600
Independent artists, writers, and performers 2,410 (7) (7)
Motion picture and video industries 1,690 $28.94 $60,200

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Specialized design services 160 $33.59 $69,870
Advertising and related services 7,390 $32.56 $67,730
Business, computer and management training 100 $30.39 $63,220
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing 50 $30.24 $62,900
Power generation and supply 30 $29.97 $62,330

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
District of Columbia 1,910 $27.85 $57,920 0.321%
Minnesota 1,830 $23.50 $48,890 0.071%
New York 5,140 $27.03 $56,220 0.062%
California 6,880 $38.50 $80,080 0.048%
Montana 180 $17.11 $35,590 0.046%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
California 6,880 $38.50 $80,080 0.048%
Connecticut 690 $31.56 $65,640 0.042%
Massachusetts 1,210 $28.98 $60,280 0.039%
District of Columbia 1,910 $27.85 $57,920 0.321%
New Jersey 1,200 $27.62 $57,450 0.031%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 3,200 $27.19 $56,560 0.118%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 4,710 $41.64 $86,610 0.118%
New York, NY PMSA 3,850 $26.90 $55,960 0.098%
Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA MSA 60 $20.05 $41,710 0.091%
Stamford-Norwalk, CT PMSA 170 $25.84 $53,740 0.085%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
New Haven-Meriden, CT PMSA 80 $49.65 $103,260 0.032%
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA MSA 40 $44.35 $92,240 0.024%
San Jose, CA PMSA 330 $44.32 $92,190 0.039%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 4,710 $41.64 $86,610 0.118%
New London-Norwich, CT-RI MSA 80 $37.58 $78,180 0.055%

About November 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

November 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 19, 2005