Writers and Authors
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
- Median pay
- $76,910
- Doing it now
- 140,300
- By 2035
- Down 0.3%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
11,900 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Discuss with the client the product, advertising themes and methods, and any changes that should be made in advertising copy.
- Present drafts and ideas to clients.
- Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
- Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
- Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
- Review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other data regarding marketing of goods and services to determine the best way to promote products.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Communication and Media StudiesSee 1,139 colleges that teach it
- Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftSee 880 colleges that teach it
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesSee 506 colleges that teach it
- JournalismSee 409 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Creative and expressive
Leading and persuading
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $76,910 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.