Writers and Authors pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,670 a year or less, while the top 10% make $116,090 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Houston earn between $59,870 and $92,590.
- $49K10th
- $60K25th
- $76KMedian
- $93K75th
- $116K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $79,840 | $6,653 | $38.38 |
| Median | $76,120 | $6,343 | $36.60 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,870 | $4,989 | $28.78 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $92,590 | $7,716 | $44.51 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $79,840, a single filer in Houston takes home about $64,997 a year, or $5,416 a month and $2,500 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Houston a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $79,840 buys what about $80,950 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 3.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Writers and Authors salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 2nd of 4 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($92,620).
- Austin$92,620
- Houston$79,840
- Dallas$78,900
- San Antonio$78,740
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 Houston: questions
How much do writers and authors make an hour in Houston?
$38.38 an hour on average, and $36.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,670 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,870, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Houston?
About $64,997 a year ($5,416 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,840. Texas has no state income tax.
Do writers and authors earn more in Houston than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).
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