How much money do writers make?

Hi Ivan,

Good question! There are actually a lot of different kinds of writing jobs. I was interested in writing when I was much younger, but didn't realize at the time that publishing books was not the only writing option!

I work as a grant writer, which means I write proposals requesting money to fund a program for children. This is a pretty specific type of writing in the field of nonprofit fundraising. Most beginning grant writer jobs pay $40,000-$50,000/year, but there are higher level jobs that pay more, if you stay in this field. You might also work as a different kind of writer for a nonprofit organization, writing about the organization's work. I'm sure there's a range of salaries, but you could probably find a nonprofit writing job in the $50,000s.

Of course, you could write a book and try to get it published. It's very competitive to get a book published, so many people work on this as a side project while working other jobs to support themselves. I have a friend who recently published his first book, so he's also done a bunch of freelance writing jobs over the years, and continues to write for a website even though his book is published and he is working on a second. As a freelance writer, you'd sell your work to magazines, blogs, websites, or others looking for content. On a related note, there's also reporting - newspapers (while they're still here!) and websites need people to research and write stories.

In summary, I don't know the pay for every type of writing position, but you should know that there are lots of options! Most people do not get rich writing, but it's certainly a field in which you can support yourself! I hope this helped. Good luck!

~Kate

Hi Ivan,

Like Kate mentioned, there are lots of different writing careers—each with their own unique salary expectations. For the type of writing I do (marketing and advertising copywriting), the salary varies widely based on experience and location. But here are a few ballpark salary estimates for copywriters based upon my own experience and payscale.com: an entry-level copywriter (0-3 years experience) may expect to make $35,000-$70,000 a year; a mid-level copywriter (3-5 years experience) may expect to make $55,000-$90,000 a year; and a senior-level copywriter (5+ years experience, and lots of good work in their portfolio!) can make over $100,000 a year.

If you live in a small town, you would expect to make less. In a large city like New York or San Francisco, salaries will be higher as companies and agencies compete to get the best writers.

As far as writing goes, marketing and advertising copywriters get paid pretty well—and the work can be really fun!

Good luck!