Updated March 14, 2024
Average creative writer salary
$73,095
$35.14 hourly rate
Entry-level creative writer salary
$46,000 yearly salary
How much does a creative writer make?
The average creative writer salary in the United States is $73,095. Creative writer salaries typically range between $46,000 and $114,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for creative writers is $35.14 per hour.
Creative writer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Creative writers earn the highest average salary in California.
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Creative writer salary by:
- State
- City
- Company
- Trends
Average creative writer salary by state
The average creative writer salary in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average creative writer salary states are Florida, Iowa, and Missouri.
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Highest paying states for creative writers
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $98,653 | $47.43 | 1,344 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $96,826 | $46.55 | 275 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $97,231 | $46.75 | 211 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $90,264 | $43.40 | 403 |
| 5 | Washington | $88,432 | $42.52 | 274 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $91,192 | $43.84 | 285 |
| 7 | New York | $85,943 | $41.32 | 1,005 |
| 8 | Utah | $80,782 | $38.84 | 127 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $90,580 | $43.55 | 124 |
| 10 | Idaho | $84,629 | $40.69 | 46 |
| 11 | Indiana | $90,322 | $43.42 | 116 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $87,689 | $42.16 | 93 |
| 13 | Virginia | $81,021 | $38.95 | 452 |
| 14 | Vermont | $79,627 | $38.28 | 36 |
| 15 | Nevada | $79,446 | $38.20 | 78 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $78,480 | $37.73 | 27 |
| 17 | Maryland | $80,303 | $38.61 | 358 |
| 18 | Delaware | $81,351 | $39.11 | 38 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $79,056 | $38.01 | 42 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $77,383 | $37.20 | 78 |
| 21 | Maine | $80,570 | $38.74 | 21 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $74,609 | $35.87 | 31 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $70,488 | $33.89 | 292 |
| 24 | Colorado | $75,085 | $36.10 | 167 |
| 25 | Oregon | $68,687 | $33.02 | 220 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $72,546 | $34.88 | 47 |
| 27 | Alaska | $69,311 | $33.32 | 34 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $76,568 | $36.81 | 30 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $70,034 | $33.67 | 50 |
| 30 | Ohio | $69,660 | $33.49 | 180 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,805 | $32.12 | 180 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $69,341 | $33.34 | 59 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $60,184 | $28.93 | 39 |
| 34 | Montana | $64,241 | $30.89 | 37 |
| 35 | Illinois | $64,947 | $31.22 | 400 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $66,000 | $31.73 | 21 |
| 37 | Texas | $64,176 | $30.85 | 520 |
| 38 | Alabama | $66,713 | $32.07 | 70 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $66,733 | $32.08 | 39 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $63,017 | $30.30 | 58 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $61,607 | $29.62 | 52 |
| 42 | Georgia | $63,270 | $30.42 | 227 |
| 43 | Michigan | $61,318 | $29.48 | 173 |
| 44 | Arizona | $58,958 | $28.35 | 132 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $61,561 | $29.60 | 73 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,694 | $28.22 | 399 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $42,118 | $20.25 | 26 |
| 48 | Missouri | $57,130 | $27.47 | 150 |
| 49 | Iowa | $58,594 | $28.17 | 60 |
| 50 | Kansas | $54,681 | $26.29 | 62 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $53,080 | $25.52 | 116 |
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Highest paying cities for creative writers
The highest-paying cities for creative writers are Redwood City, CA, Mountain View, CA, and Palo Alto, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood City, CA | $103,537 | $49.78 | |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | $103,517 | $49.77 | |
| 3 | Palo Alto, CA | $103,512 | $49.77 | 1 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $103,377 | $49.70 | |
| 5 | Parksdale, CA | $102,240 | $49.15 | |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $101,673 | $48.88 | |
| 7 | Santa Monica, CA | $97,954 | $47.09 | |
| 8 | Glendale, CA | $97,949 | $47.09 | 1 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $97,885 | $47.06 | |
| 10 | Manhattan Beach, CA | $97,651 | $46.95 | |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $97,470 | $46.86 | 1 |
| 12 | Iselin, NJ | $97,024 | $46.65 | |
| 13 | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | $96,757 | $46.52 | |
| 14 | Irvine, CA | $96,739 | $46.51 | |
| 15 | Spring Grove, PA | $90,718 | $43.61 | |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $89,930 | $43.24 | |
| 17 | Camas, WA | $89,556 | $43.06 | |
| 18 | Pittsburgh, PA | $88,222 | $42.41 | |
| 19 | Southbury, CT | $87,632 | $42.13 | |
| 20 | New York, NY | $86,375 | $41.53 | 2 |
Creative Writer salary details
A creative writer's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a creative writer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $73,095 | $6,091 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest paying creative writer jobs
The highest paying types of creative writers are senior editor, managing editor, and senior writer.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Technical Editor | $61,717 | $5,143 | $29.67 | 78,423 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Technical Writer And Editor | $65,088 | $5,424 | $31.29 | 78,617 |
Top companies hiring creative writers now:
- Meta Jobs (5)
- Squarespace Jobs (4)
- NBCUniversal Jobs (2)
- POET Jobs (2)
- KPMG LLP Jobs (7)
Which companies pay creative writers the most?
Creative writer salaries at Apple and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average creative writer salary at companies like Google and Squarespace are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $129,063 | $62.05 |
| 2 | Meta | $126,107 | $60.63 |
| 3 | $121,584 | $58.45 | |
| 4 | Squarespace | $120,901 | $58.13 |
| 5 | NBCUniversal | $92,535 | $44.49 |
| 6 | Electronic Arts | $90,197 | $43.36 |
| 7 | Alteryx | $88,893 | $42.74 |
| 8 | Entrata | $86,900 | $41.78 |
| 9 | Fisher Investments | $86,054 | $41.37 |
| 10 | Foundation For A Christian | $83,117 | $39.96 |
| 11 | Plains Cotton Cooperative Association | $82,759 | $39.79 |
| 12 | Ericsson | $77,731 | $37.37 |
| 13 | KPMG LLP | $77,488 | $37.25 |
| 14 | Crystal Equation | $76,870 | $36.96 |
| 15 | Johnson Controls | $74,140 | $35.64 |
| 16 | Strategic Staffing Solutions | $74,030 | $35.59 |
| 17 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $71,632 | $34.44 |
| 18 | Salesforce | $69,845 | $33.58 |
| 19 | National Restaurant Association | $67,008 | $32.22 |
| 20 | Kelly Services | $46,032 | $22.13 |
Creative Writer salary trends
The average creative writer salary has risen by $12,251 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average creative writer earned $60,844 annually, but today, they earn $73,095 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for creative writers over the last decade.
Compare creative writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average creative writer salary over time
Compare creative writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Creative Writer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $73,100 | $35.14 | +5.8% |
| 2023 | $68,800 | $33.09 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $67,700 | $32.55 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $67,300 | $32.37 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | $66,700 | $32.06 | +1.6% |
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Recently added creative writer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remo | AI Training for Creative Writers | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2023 | $52,634 |
| JDA | Creative Writer-Advertising | Maitland, FL | 06/29/2023 | $50,000 |
| Meneses Law | Creative Writer | Houston, TX | 06/28/2023 | $48,001 |
| Accelerate Now | Creative Writer | Buffalo, NY | 06/28/2023 | $40,000 |
| University of Missouri System | Creative Copywriter | Columbia, MO | 06/27/2023 | $52,667 |
| Bay Systems | Creative Writer | Palo Alto, CA | 06/23/2023 | $52,175 |
| Bay Systems Consulting Inc. | Creative Writer | Palo Alto, CA | 06/13/2023 | $52,175 |
| Bay Systems Consulting Inc. | Creative Writer | Palo Alto, CA | 06/13/2023 | $52,175 |
| University of Missouri System | Creative Copywriter | Columbia, MO | 06/10/2023 | $52,667 |
| JDA | Creative Writer-Advertising | Maitland, FL | 05/30/2023 | $50,000 |
Show more
Creative Writer salary FAQs
What state pays Creative Writers the most?
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Creative Writer?
Have more questions?
See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.Search for creative writer jobs
Creative Writer Related Salaries
- Assistant Editor Salary
- Associate Editor Salary
- Content Editor Salary
- Content Writer Salary
- Editor Salary
- Grant Writer Salary
- Managing Editor Salary
- News Editor Salary
- Production Editor Salary
- Proposal Writer Salary
- Publisher Salary
- Senior Copywriter Salary
- Senior Editor Salary
- Senior Technical Writer Salary
- Senior Writer Salary
Creative Writer Related Careers
- Assistant Editor
- Associate Editor
- Content Editor
- Content Writer
- Editor
- Grant Writer
- Managing Editor
- News Editor
- Production Editor
- Proposal Writer
- Publisher
- Senior Copywriter
- Senior Editor
- Senior Technical Writer
- Senior Writer
Creative Writer Related Jobs
- Assistant Editor
- Associate Editor
- Content Editor
- Content Writer
- Grant Writer
- Production Editor
- Proposal Writer
- Senior Copywriter
- Senior Editor
- Senior Technical Writer
- Senior Writer
- Staff Writer
- Technical Writer
- Writer
What Similar Roles Do
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- Creative Writer
- Creative Writer Salary
Updated March 14, 2024
