Writers and Authors pay range in Boulder
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,830 a year or less, while the top 10% make $142,060 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Boulder earn between $65,640 and $105,200.
- $48K10th
- $66K25th
- $84KMedian
- $105K75th
- $142K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $90,190 | $7,516 | $43.36 |
| Median | $83,540 | $6,962 | $40.16 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $65,640 | $5,470 | $31.56 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $105,200 | $8,767 | $50.58 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Boulder
On the average salary of $90,190, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $69,019 a year, or $5,752 a month and $2,655 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Boulder a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $90,190 buys what about $85,730 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 8.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Writers and Authors salary in other Colorado cities
Boulder ranks 2nd of 5 Colorado metro areas for this job; Fort Collins pays the most ($92,440).
- Fort Collins$92,440
- Boulder$90,190
- Colorado Springs$84,620
- Denver$77,800
- Greeley$74,840
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 Boulder: questions
How much do writers and authors make an hour in Boulder?
$43.36 an hour on average, and $40.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Boulder?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,830 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,640, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Boulder?
About $69,019 a year ($5,752 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,190. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do writers and authors earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% 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 Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.13, this job is 2.1 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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