Writers and Authors pay range in Denver
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,060 a year or less, while the top 10% make $132,620 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Denver earn between $51,710 and $93,170.
- $42K10th
- $52K25th
- $69KMedian
- $93K75th
- $133K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $77,800 | $6,483 | $37.40 |
| Median | $69,100 | $5,758 | $33.22 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,710 | $4,309 | $24.86 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $93,170 | $7,764 | $44.79 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Denver
On the average salary of $77,800, a single filer in Denver takes home about $60,848 a year, or $5,071 a month and $2,340 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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 Denver a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Denver area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.8), so the average $77,800 buys what about $73,547 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Denver ($62,320). A typical home costs $573,221, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Writers and Authors salary in other Colorado cities
Denver ranks 4th 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 Denver: questions
How much do writers and authors make an hour in Denver?
$37.41 an hour on average, and $33.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Denver?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,060 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,710, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Denver?
About $60,848 a year ($5,071 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,800. 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 Denver than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (19740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.8%.
- 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 1.72, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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