Writers and Authors Salary
In Burlington-South Burlington, VT, writers and authors earn $85,020 at the median, or about $40.87 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.95), that's roughly $84,220 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,140/month, about 40.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $85K get you in Burlington-South Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington-South Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (100.95). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Burlington-South Burlington
Burlington-South Burlington sits well above the national pay line for writers and authors, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,140/month, which is 39.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.95) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for writers and authors in metros near Burlington-South Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $85K | $79K |
| Rochester | $69K | $71K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $78K | $78K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $66K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington-South Burlington, VT
Entry-level writers and authors (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Writers and Authors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Writers and Authors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $129K | +68% | 1,050 |
| Maryland | $104K | +36% | 540 |
| Connecticut | $98K | +28% | 480 |
| Vermont | $94K | +23% | 110 |
| Louisiana | $90K | +16% | 480 |
| California | $86K | +12% | 8,390 |
| Washington | $86K | +11% | 770 |
| Massachusetts | $85K | +11% | 1,350 |
| Virginia | $85K | +11% | 1,530 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +6% | 1,180 |
| Oregon | $81K | +5% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | +1% | 1,080 |
| Colorado | $77K | -0% | 1,300 |
| Indiana | $76K | -1% | 450 |
| Georgia | $75K | -3% | 820 |
| Minnesota | $73K | -5% | 720 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -7% | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | -9% | 110 |
| Texas | $70K | -9% | 2,320 |
| Illinois | $68K | -11% | 2,640 |
| Florida | $68K | -11% | 3,010 |
| Alabama | $67K | -13% | 180 |
| Ohio | $66K | -14% | 830 |
| Kansas | $66K | -14% | 240 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -15% | 240 |
| Utah | $65K | -16% | 410 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -16% | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -16% | 710 |
| Nevada | $64K | -17% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $64K | -17% | 1,810 |
| Iowa | $61K | -21% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -23% | 1,260 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -24% | 220 |
| Missouri | $58K | -24% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -26% | 60 |
| Idaho | $56K | -27% | 90 |
| Arizona | $56K | -27% | 600 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -30% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -32% | 520 |
| North Dakota | $51K | -34% | 80 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -35% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $49K | -37% | 350 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -38% | 270 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track writers and authors salary changes
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Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a writers and author afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington-South Burlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 39.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,140/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for writers and authors in Burlington-South Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new writers and authors typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,694/month. At HUD’s $2,140/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is writers and author a high-paying job in Burlington-South Burlington?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $85K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Burlington-South Burlington compare to the national average for writers and authors?
Burlington-South Burlington pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do writers and authors make in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?
The median is $85,020 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,560, and experienced writers and authors can clear $136,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Burlington-South Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,419/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,140/month, which eats 39.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a writers and authors salary go in Burlington-South Burlington?
Burlington-South Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 100.95 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median writers and authors salary is worth about $84,220 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do writers and authors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.