Writers and Authors pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $136,490 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Riverside earn between $59,490 and $110,850.
- $39K10th
- $59K25th
- $79KMedian
- $111K75th
- $136K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $88,320 | $7,360 | $42.46 |
| Median | $78,990 | $6,582 | $37.98 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,490 | $4,958 | $28.60 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $110,850 | $9,238 | $53.29 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $88,320, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $66,841 a year, or $5,570 a month and $2,571 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Riverside a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $88,320 buys what about $82,975 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Writers and Authors salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 8th of 11 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($120,540).
- San Jose$120,540
- Santa Rosa$113,000
- Oxnard$102,320
- San Diego$101,560
- Los Angeles$98,070
- San Luis Obispo$94,260
- Sacramento$92,290
- Riverside$88,320
- Santa Maria$84,700
- Bakersfield$81,820
Highest-paying cities for writers and authors
Waterbury, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($186,370).
- Waterbury, CT$186,370
- San Jose, CA$120,540
- Washington, DC$118,070
- Santa Rosa, CA$113,000
- Bridgeport, CT$111,590
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Writers and Authors salary in Riverside: questions
How much do writers and authors make an hour in Riverside?
$42.46 an hour on average, and $37.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,490, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Riverside?
About $66,841 a year ($5,570 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $88,320. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do writers and authors earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($83,052).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-3043; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.36, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.36).
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