Writers and Authors Salary
In Cedar Rapids, IA, writers and authors earn $62,110 at the median, or about $29.86 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $69,818 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 23.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). 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.
About writers and authors
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Pay for writers and authors in Cedar Rapids runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $77K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 23.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Cedar Rapids can be a reasonable trade-off for writers and authorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for writers and authors in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $63K | $69K |
| Iowa City | $49K | $54K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $76K | $73K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $76K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level writers and authors (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $50K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a writers and author afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 23.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for writers and authors in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new writers and authors typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,170/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is writers and author a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $62K here vs. $77K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for writers and authors?
Cedar Rapids pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do writers and authors make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $62,110 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,830, and experienced writers and authors can clear $102,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,069/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 23.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a writers and authors salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median writers and authors salary is worth about $69,818 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.