SOC 27-3043 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Writers and Authors Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for writers and authors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $67,570 a year ($32.49 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,110: half of the 40 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($83,052).

$67,570average per year

$32.49 / hourMedian $62,110Take-home ≈ $54,410

  • $53K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-19%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 3Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Writers and Authors pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,830 a year or less, while the top 10% make $102,640 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Cedar Rapids earn between $59,990 and $72,210.

  • $53K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$67,570$5,631$32.49
Median$62,110$5,176$29.86
Entry level (25th percentile)$59,990$4,999$28.84
Experienced (75th percentile)$72,210$6,018$34.72

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $67,570, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $54,410 a year, or $4,534 a month and $2,093 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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Is Cedar Rapids a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $67,570 buys what about $75,953 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $67,570 is worth in another city

Writers and Authors salary in other Iowa cities

Cedar Rapids ranks 2nd of 3 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($67,610).

All Writers and Authors salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for writers and authors

Waterbury, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($186,370).

Writers and Authors salary by city

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Writers and Authors salary in Cedar Rapids: questions

How much do writers and authors make an hour in Cedar Rapids?

$32.49 an hour on average, and $29.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Cedar Rapids?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,830 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,990, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Cedar Rapids?

About $54,410 a year ($4,534 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $67,570. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do writers and authors earn more in Cedar Rapids than elsewhere?

The average here is 19% 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 Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • 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). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.84, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.