Writers and Authors Salary
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, writers and authors earn $63,910 at the median, or about $30.73 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $65,927 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 31.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Pay for writers and authors in Milwaukee-Waukesha runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $77K. Rent runs $1,338/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for writers and authors in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $69K | $71K |
| Green Bay | $62K | $66K |
| 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, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level writers and authors (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $33K 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a writers and author afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 31.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new writers and authors typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,979/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $64K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for writers and authors?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — below the national median.
How much do writers and authors make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $63,910 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,650, and experienced writers and authors can clear $82,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,251/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 31.5% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $65,927 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.