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Writers and Authors in Mississippi

Writers and Authors in Mississippi

Want to work as a Writers and Authors in Mississippi? Here’s what you need to know. Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material. Excludes “News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists” (27-3023), “Public Relations Specialists” (27-3031), and “Technical Writers” (27-3042).

What do Writers and Authors Make in Mississippi?

For writers and authors working in Mississippi, the median annual wage is $51,230 per year (or roughly $24.63/hour).Pay can range from $27,150 at the 10th percentile to $83,950 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $27,150 $13.05
25th percentile $40,450 $19.45
Median (50th) $51,230 $24.63
75th percentile $61,860 $29.74
90th percentile $83,950 $40.36
Salary ranges for Writers and Authors in Mississippi

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Mississippi relative to the national average — is 0.36, indicating fewer writers and authors per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, writers and authors earn a median of $63,195 per year ($30.38/hour), below the Mississippi median.

Writers and Authors earnings in Mississippi vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 162,703 writers and authors across the United States. In Mississippi alone, about 130 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 580 writers and authors.

Writers and Authors in Mississippi vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Writers and Authors

Top Mississippi Metros for Writers and Authors

These are the Mississippi metros with the most writers and authors in Mississippi.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Jackson, MS 30 $47,680

Top States for Writers and Authors Employment

These states have the highest employment of writers and authors work.

State Number Employed
California 8,950
New York 5,980
Florida 2,440
North Carolina 2,170
Texas 2,100
Illinois 2,010
Virginia 1,630
New Jersey 1,610
Colorado 1,540
Pennsylvania 1,360
Massachusetts 1,260
District of Columbia 1,240
Tennessee 1,220
Georgia 1,200
Minnesota 980
Ohio 960
Washington 900
Michigan 860
Oregon 850
Connecticut 640

Highest-Paying States for Writers and Authors

Where writers and authors earn the most: writers and authors.

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $121,160
Maryland $107,540
Washington $86,170
Vermont $86,040
Virginia $80,990
Connecticut $80,950
California $80,470
Massachusetts $78,440
Oregon $77,830
New Jersey $75,640

Skills

The most important writers and authors skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Writing  4.8 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.6 / 5
0
5
Time Management  3.6 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

English Language  5.0 / 5
0
5
Sales and Marketing  4.3 / 5
0
5
Communications and Media  4.2 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.0 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  3.5 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  2.9 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Top abilities for writers and authors, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Written Expression  4.6 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  4.0 / 5
0
5
Originality  3.9 / 5
0
5
Fluency of Ideas  3.9 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, writers and authors typically:

  • Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
  • Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
  • Present drafts and ideas to clients.
  • Discuss with the client the product, advertising themes and methods, and any changes that should be made in advertising copy.
  • Review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other data regarding marketing of goods and services to determine the best way to promote products.
  • Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.
  • Conduct research and interviews to determine which of a product's selling features should be promoted.
  • Invent names for products and write the slogans that appear on packaging, brochures and other promotional material.
  • Collaborate with other writers on specific projects.
  • Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
  • Consult with sales, media and marketing representatives to obtain information on product or service and discuss style and length of advertising written material.
  • Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.

Work Activities

  • Getting Information
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization
  • Selling or Influencing Others
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Thinking Creatively
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies
  • Developing and Building Teams

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator In-demand technologies: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Photoshop

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

Related occupations to writers and authors include:

Also Known As

Advertisement Agency Copywriter (Ad Agency Copywriter), Advertisement Copywriter (Ad Copywriter), Advertisement Writer (Ad Writer), Advertising Associate, Advertising Copywriter, Advertising Specialist, Advertising Writer, Article Writer, Author, Biographer, Blurb Writer, Business Writer, Communications Specialist, Content Creator, Content Developer.

References

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