Writers and Authors Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, writers and authors earn $84,130 at the median, or about $40.45 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $86,225 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 31.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $84K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Writers and authors pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $84K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for writers and authors in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $65K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $69K | $70K |
| Wilmington | $48K | $50K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $63K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level writers and authors (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $70K 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 with published data
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 Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a writers and author afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 32.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new writers and authors typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,879/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $84K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for writers and authors?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do writers and authors make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $84,130 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,980, and experienced writers and authors can clear $117,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,315/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 32.2% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $86,225 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.