Writers and Authors Salary
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, writers and authors earn $51,170 at the median, or about $24.6 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $55,087 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 37.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). 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 Lexington-Fayette
Pay for writers and authors in Lexington-Fayette runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 37.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for writers and authorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for writers and authors in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $53K | $56K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $76K | $73K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $63K | $66K |
| St. Louis | $57K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level writers and authors (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $36K 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 Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a writers and author afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 37.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new writers and authors typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,277/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $51K here vs. $77K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for writers and authors?
Lexington-Fayette pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do writers and authors make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $51,170 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,950, and experienced writers and authors can clear $73,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,426/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 37.1% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (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 $55,087 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.