SOC 27-3043 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Writers and Authors — Topeka
Topeka, KS
The median wage for Writers and Authors in Topeka, KS is $51,610 per year, substantially below the national median of $76,910 — a gap of 32.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.6%
- Openings per year
- 13,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
62.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Topeka, KS.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Writers and Authors in Topeka, KS is $51,610 per year, substantially below the national median of $76,910 — a gap of 32.9%. Half of workers earn between $40,890 and $66,560. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $33,580 and the ninetieth at $87,430.
Of the 333 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 188th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33,580 | −56.3% |
| 25th | $40,890 | −46.8% |
| Median (50th) | $51,610 | −32.9% |
| 75th | $66,560 | −13.5% |
| 90th | $87,430 | +13.7% |
| Mean | $54,810 | −28.7% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Topeka run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $51,610 goes as far as $58,119 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 24.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$51,610as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$58,119US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $51,610 a year, 32.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $33,580 to $87,430 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Writers and Authors in Topeka, KS?
The median annual wage is $51,610, or $24.81 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $76,910, so pay in Topeka, KS is 32.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Topeka, KS earns more than $87,430 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $33,580 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data