Creative · 23 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Writer/Author (2024)

The median Writer/Author salary is $107,810 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Raleigh, NC offers the best purchasing power at $74,970 adjusted.

$75,395

National Median

$107,810

Highest City

$59,780

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th–90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$107,810	$52,240 – $190,620	195.8	$55,061	390
2	Washington, DC	$106,340	$63,300 – $164,840	152.8	$69,594	2,310
3	San Francisco, CA	$97,680	$63,820 – $173,610	179.6	$54,388	1,330
4	Seattle, WA	$90,320	$58,170 – $129,990	149.4	$60,455	720
5	Portland, OR	$84,520	$50,230 – $130,870	130.1	$64,965	580
6	Los Angeles, CA	$79,080	$47,210 – $164,480	166	$47,639	4,460
7	Boston, MA	$78,870	$48,670 – $137,130	152.1	$51,854	1,070
8	Austin, TX	$76,060	$51,870 – $180,800	103	$73,845	370
9	Philadelphia, PA	$75,890	$41,450 – $132,660	118.4	$64,096	720
10	Salt Lake City, UT	$75,690	$40,800 – $95,420	101.4	$74,645	360
11	Raleigh, NC	$74,820	$51,470 – $102,990	99.8	$74,970	570
12	Atlanta, GA	$72,000	$48,140 – $142,550	99.2	$72,581	660
13	San Diego, CA	$71,390	$47,410 – $155,480	160.2	$44,563	670
14	Chicago, IL	$69,150	$38,590 – $114,500	107.3	$64,445	1,590
15	Houston, TX	$68,990	$44,460 – $98,070	96.5	$71,492	360
16	Minneapolis, MN	$68,640	$46,690 – $104,020	106.2	$64,633	780
17	Tampa, FL	$65,930	$41,980 – $134,410	99.6	$66,195	280
18	Phoenix, AZ	$65,370	$42,710 – $94,310	100.7	$64,916	400
19	Miami, FL	$63,550	$42,580 – $104,990	123.1	$51,625	0
20	Detroit, MI	$61,670	$43,990 – $85,210	95.1	$64,848	300
21	Nashville, TN	$60,540	$41,790 – $101,070	100.3	$60,359	390
22	Charlotte, NC	$59,990	$47,100 – $97,130	96.7	$62,037	490
23	Denver, CO	$59,780	$37,430 – $128,710	112.8	$52,996	970

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Writer/Author paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Raleigh, NC	$74,970	$74,820	99.8
2	Salt Lake City, UT	$74,645	$75,690	101.4
3	Austin, TX	$73,845	$76,060	103
4	Atlanta, GA	$72,581	$72,000	99.2
5	Houston, TX	$71,492	$68,990	96.5
6	Washington, DC	$69,594	$106,340	152.8
7	Tampa, FL	$66,195	$65,930	99.6
8	Portland, OR	$64,965	$84,520	130.1
9	Phoenix, AZ	$64,916	$65,370	100.7
10	Detroit, MI	$64,848	$61,670	95.1
11	Minneapolis, MN	$64,633	$68,640	106.2
12	Chicago, IL	$64,445	$69,150	107.3
13	Philadelphia, PA	$64,096	$75,890	118.4
14	Charlotte, NC	$62,037	$59,990	96.7
15	Seattle, WA	$60,455	$90,320	149.4
16	Nashville, TN	$60,359	$60,540	100.3
17	San Jose, CA	$55,061	$107,810	195.8
18	San Francisco, CA	$54,388	$97,680	179.6
19	Denver, CO	$52,996	$59,780	112.8
20	Boston, MA	$51,854	$78,870	152.1
21	Miami, FL	$51,625	$63,550	123.1
22	Los Angeles, CA	$47,639	$79,080	166
23	San Diego, CA	$44,563	$71,390	160.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Writer/Author salary at $107,810. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Raleigh, NC offers the most purchasing power at $74,970 adjusted.

The national median Writer/Author salary is $75,395 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $59,780 to $107,810 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above — cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.