Writers and Authors pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $138,950 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Boston earn between $72,400 and $108,030.
- $59K10th
- $72K25th
- $85KMedian
- $108K75th
- $139K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $94,580 | $7,882 | $45.47 |
| Median | $85,260 | $7,105 | $40.99 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $72,400 | $6,033 | $34.81 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $108,030 | $9,002 | $51.94 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $94,580, a single filer in Boston takes home about $70,958 a year, or $5,913 a month and $2,729 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $75,367 | $6,281 |
| Working in MA | $70,958 | $5,913 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $94,580 buys what about $87,359 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Writers and Authors salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 1st of 3 Massachusetts metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
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 Boston: questions
How much do writers and authors make an hour in Boston?
$45.47 an hour on average, and $40.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $72,400, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Boston?
About $70,958 a year ($5,913 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $94,580. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do writers and authors earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.35, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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