Writers originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material. They work in both fiction and non-fiction, depending on their specialties and on the demands of the marketplace.

Average Salary:

$53,070

Average Hours (per week):

Some writers keep regular office hours, either to maintain contact with sources and editors or to establish a writing routine, but most writers are freelance and therefore set their own hours. Many writers — especially freelance writers — are paid per completed assignment. So, they must work any number of hours necessary to meet a deadline. As a result, writers must be willing to work evenings, nights, or weekends to produce a piece acceptable to an editor or client by the deadline.

Union:

There are a number of unions and/or guilds for authors and writers, depending on the industry they write in (film, publishing, newspaper, fiction, broadcasting, non-fiction, and even Internet). The National Writers Union and the Writers Guild are two of the more well known among them.

Certifications:

None. Certain specialties that writers work on have certifications but they generally wouldn’t help the writer get the writing assignment. They would help the writer in becoming a specialist. There are many certifications related to technical fields that a technical writer may want to consider.

Training Period:

Depending on the market the writer is working on, there are plenty of internships available at publishing houses, film production houses, newspapers, and the like. The ability to write well almost certainly demands a college education with as wide a variety of subjects as possible.

Strongest Market(s):

Over 70 percent of all writers are self-employed, permitting them to work virtually anywhere they have access to communications equipment (Internet, fax, phone).

Entry Level Salary:

Entry-level salaries for qualified individuals range from $10.62 to $14.07 per hour.

Top Salary:

$87,390

Job Growth Forecast:

Growth is expected to be higher than average over the next decade at 14 to 19 percent, primarily because of exponentially increased need for writers online. Job prospects for most technical writing jobs are expected to be good, particularly for those with web or multimedia experience.

Related posts:

1. Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
2. Editors
3. Production Assistant
4. Photographers
5. Graphic Design Specialist