How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do writers and authors make?

The US median is $76,910 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

1,470 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

🎓 My University View

Home › Careers › Writers and authors

Writers and authors: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Arts, design, media & film · SOC 27-3043

$76,910US median pay, 2025

-0.3%Projected growth, 2025–35

11,900Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Long-term on-the-job training
Work in: writers and authors

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Speech Communication and Rhetoric	CIP 09.0101	745
Creative Writing	CIP 23.1302	423
Journalism	CIP 09.0401	362
Communication, General	CIP 09.0100	346
Mass Communication/Media Studies	CIP 09.0102	304
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing	CIP 23.1303	159
Writing, General	CIP 23.1301	100
Rhetoric and Composition	CIP 23.1304	84
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	CIP 09.9999	68
General Literature	CIP 23.1401	58
Broadcast Journalism	CIP 09.0402	57
Playwriting and Screenwriting	CIP 50.0504	52
Business/Corporate Communications, General	CIP 52.0501	52
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other	CIP 23.1399	15
Children's and Adolescent Literature	CIP 23.1405	8
Literature, Other	CIP 23.1499	6
Comedy Writing and Performance	CIP 50.0511	2
Business/Corporate Communications, Other	CIP 52.0599	1
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication	CIP 19.0202	0

See the 1,470 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do writers and authors make?: The US median is $76,910 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,470 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Arts, design, media & film

Coaches and scouts · Public relations specialists · Musicians and singers · Merchandise displayers and window trimmers · Graphic designers · Art directors · Producers and directors · Photographers