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Copywriter: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$76,910median pay per year, or $36.98 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $44,310lowest 10% earn less
  2. $58,23025th percentile
  3. $76,910median
  4. $101,95075th percentile
  5. $139,870top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Writers and authors, the BLS category that covers copywriters, had a median pay of $76,910 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to dip 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-0.3%[2]
Openings per year
11,900[6]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[7]

How much do copywriters make?

The BLS counts copywriters in the Writers and Authors category. The median pay was $76,910 a year, or $36.98 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $86,090 a year, or $41.39 an hour[8]. For all occupations, the median was $50,980 a year[5].

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,310 a year[4], and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $58,230[4]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $101,950, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $139,870[4]. Per hour, those same boundaries were $21.31, $28.00, $49.01 and $67.25[9]. A percentile is a boundary between groups of workers. BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].

These figures cover wage and salary workers, part time and full time. They leave out the self-employed and do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits[11]. That matters here, because 64.8% of writers and authors were self-employed in 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

Among the 42 states and DC with published data, the District of Columbia had the highest median at $129,300, followed by Maryland at $104,330 and Connecticut at $98,460[13]. California's median was $86,480[13].

California had the most jobs, at 8,390, followed by New York with 7,480, Florida with 3,010, Illinois with 2,640 and Texas with 2,320[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $118,810[15]. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria came next at $108,460[15], then Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT at $103,060[15]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, with 7,220[16].

Show median pay in 42 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[13]$129,3001,050
Maryland$104,330540
Connecticut$98,460480
Vermont$94,430110
Louisiana$89,520480
California$86,4808,390
Washington$85,700770
Massachusetts$85,2601,350
Virginia$85,0001,530
New Jersey$81,5901,180
Oregon$80,540950
Pennsylvania$77,4101,080
Colorado$76,8301,300
Indiana$75,820450
Georgia$74,710820
Minnesota$72,810720
New Hampshire$71,830180
Rhode Island$70,190110
Texas$69,9902,320
Illinois$68,2202,640
Florida$68,0803,010
Alabama$66,950180
Ohio$65,930830
Kansas$65,840240
Nebraska$65,470240
Utah$64,530410
West Virginia$64,410110
Wisconsin$64,370710
Nevada$63,910190
North Carolina$63,6601,810
Iowa$61,010290
Tennessee$58,8701,260
Oklahoma$58,770220
Missouri$58,140600
South Dakota$56,70060
Idaho$56,36090
Arizona$55,990600
Mississippi$54,180130
South Carolina$51,920520
North Dakota$50,86080
Wyoming$49,650n/a
Kentucky$48,780350
Arkansas$47,970270

How to become a copywriter

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education for entry, with no work experience in a related occupation needed and long-term on-the-job training[7]. The details below come from the handbook entry for writers and authors[17].

Anyone with internet access can start a blog, and some of that writing may lead to paid assignments regardless of education[22]. Writers may also need training or experience in the topic they write about[23]. The handbook gives no license or exam for this work, and our facts do not say how many years training takes.

What copywriters do

O*NET describes the work as creating written material such as scripts, stories and advertisements[24]. Typical tasks include:

Job titles reported by workers include advertising copywriter, content marketing writer, freelance copywriter and SEO copywriter[26].

Where they work

Writers and authors can work anywhere they have a computer[27]. Jobs are somewhat concentrated in California, New York, Texas and Washington, DC, yet writers can work from almost anywhere. Some travel to meet publishers and clients or to do research in person[28].

Self-employed workers made up 65% of writers and authors in 2025, the largest group of employers[29]. Some writers work part time. Regular office hours are common, and many writers set their own hours. Others work evenings and weekends to meet an editor's or client's needs. Freelancers may juggle several projects or keep looking for new work[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of writers and authors to fall 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 140,300 jobs to 139,900[2]. That is a change of -500 jobs, and the counts include self-employed workers[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[3]. The 140,300 figure is larger than the 47,940 wage and salary jobs counted in the wage survey[31]. The larger count includes self-employed workers[2].

Still, about 11,900 openings are projected each year, on average[6]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, as well as new jobs[6]. Each year, 4% of workers leave the labor force and 4.6% move to a different occupation[32].

BLS names one factor that affects employment: AI tools are generating more written works, which substitutes for some writers[33].

Is it a good fit?

The pay data show a median well above the all-occupations median, and a wide range between the lower and upper percentiles[1][5][4]. The usual route is a bachelor's degree followed by on-the-job training[7]. Writing experience from blogging or internships can help[19][22]. The job count is projected to shrink slightly, and AI is named as a factor[2][33]. Most writers and authors are self-employed, and the wage figures do not cover them[12][11]. Related occupations include editors at a median of $77,920 and public relations specialists at $74,750[34].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[34].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a copywriter make an hour?
BLS counts copywriters among writers and authors. Their median was $36.98 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $41.39 an hour[1][8].
What degree do you need to be a copywriter?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education for writers and authors. The handbook points to a field like English, communications or journalism[7][18].
Is copywriting in demand?
BLS projects a 0.3% decline in employment from 2025 to 2035[2], against 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][3]. About 11,900 openings are projected each year[6].
What is the highest paying state for writers and authors?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $129,300 in May 2025, followed by Maryland at $104,330[13].
Are most copywriters self-employed?
BLS reports that 64.8% of writers and authors were self-employed in 2025[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Writers and Authors in the US was $76,910 per year and $36.98 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Writers and Authors is projected to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 140,300 to 139,900 jobs (a change of -500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Writers and Authors: 10th percentile $44,310, 25th percentile $58,230, 75th percentile $101,950, 90th percentile $139,870. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 11,900 openings for Writers and Authors are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Writers and Authors: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Writers and Authors was $86,090 per year and $41.39 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Writers and Authors: 10th percentile $21.31, 25th percentile $28.00, 75th percentile $49.01, 90th percentile $67.25. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS Employment Projections: 64.8% of Writers and Authors were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  13. Median annual wage for Writers and Authors in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Writers and Authors jobs: California 8,390; New York 7,480; Florida 3,010; Illinois 2,640; Texas 2,320. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Writers and Authors (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $118,810; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $108,460; Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $103,060; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $98,730; Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $97,160; Trenton-Princeton, NJ $90,060; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $87,560; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $87,020. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Writers and Authors jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 7,220; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 2,120 (median $75,940); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,060 (median $108,460); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 1,560; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,270 (median $66,470); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,130 (median $85,260). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Work Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Work Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Work Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. O*NET description of Writers and Authors. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Writers and Authors. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET 27-3043.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Advertising Copywriter, Advertising Writer, Author, Content Marketing Writer, Copywriter, Freelance Copywriter, Freelance Writer, Search Engine Optimization Copywriter (SEO Copywriter). O*NET OnLine
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of writers and authors in 2025: Self-employed workers 65%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 47,940 people were employed as Writers and Authors in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  32. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Writers and Authors: 4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  33. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Writers and Authors: Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as more written works are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, substituting for some writers. BLS Employment Projections
  34. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.