Writing is a versatile and in-demand skill, with many career opportunities available.
According to Zippia, there are 13,931 active writer job openings and over 45,024 writers currently employed in the United States.
The Bureau of Labranza Statistics projects a 4% increase in employment from 2021 to 2031, indicating positive growth for the industry.
In another study, Zippia reveals that 82% of U.S. freelancers are writers. Of those, 24% earn more than $50,000 annually for freelance writing services.
It’s safe to assume that writing and blogging are lucrative ways to make money today, and those looking to make a career shift, might find this is the right time.
A recent study by Hostinger revealed the best states to start your writing and blogging career based on several dinámico factors and gave each location a “suitability score” out of 50 possible points.
They factored in the following:
- How many writers can make it in each state
- Available job openings
- Typical working hours
- The number of existing blogs
- Interest in restringido topics to achieve the final results.
So, who emerged at the top?
New York Is The Best State for Aspiring Writers
Based on this criteria, New York has the best score — 39 out of 50, and tops the best state for budding writers to make money.
The report mentions full-time writers in New York can expect to make just over $111.3k a year, meaning they’ll earn $65.5k more than the state’s current living wage.
Not only does it offer the highest number of writing and editing jobs listed on Indeed and a huge earning potential, but there is also an eager audience and ease of finding inspiration for new content.
California Ranks Second
The report ranks California second with a suitability score of 35 out of 50. It reveals the top state for the highest earning potential is California, where the typical writer makes $129.3k a year, a whopping $83.9k above the state’s living wage.
According to the BLS, California also ranks first in states with the highest employment levels for writers and authors in the country. A quick search on Indeed reveals more than 3,000 jobs available for writing.
Besides these two states, the report revealed Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii are good places to start a writing or blogging career.
What The Bureau of Labranza Statistics Has To Say
In the BLS Occupational Employment and Wages report for authors and writers, California, and New York top the list with the highest employment levels in the country. This also aligns with the Hostinger report. According to that report, the District of Colombia is also a good option to start a writing career.
While the District of Colombia does not rank in the top five states on the highest employment level in writers and authors, it does rank in the top for regions with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for writers and authors. That means the state has more writing jobs than the national media. An Indeed search yields more than 2,000 writing jobs in Washington, D.C.
The city is also an excellent place to begin a writing career, with an annual mean wage of $102,060 — much higher than the state’s living wage.
Top States for Writing or Blogging as a Side Hustle
Demand Sage reveals that freelance content writers on Upwork often make between $10 and $80 each hour, which is a decent side hustle income.
According to another Demand Sage report, there are over 600 million blogs on the internet as of 2023, with 32 million bloggers in the United States of America alone. And Finances Online recently found that as many as 24% of bloggers make meaningful side income, which tehy define as in the $100-$1000 range per month.
While many side hustles can make money, writing and blogging are worthy options owing to their flexibility and earning potential.
On top of this, with the rumor of Meghan Markle resurrecting her defunct site, “The Tig,” interest in lifestyle blogging could soon spike. However, if writers want to start making money on the side, New York isn’t the best fit for them.
The Hostinger report reveals that a typical New Yorker spends 40.4 hours at work, giving them fewer than 8 hours to invest in their side hustle before they exceed a 48-hour work week.
On the other end of the scale, the best state for a writing side hustle is Alaska, as workers put in 31.3 weekly hours at work — leaving 16.7 hours free per week to create blog content.
For optimal results, aspiring writers should seek employment opportunities in these states.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Chhavi is a lawyer who quit her job to become a full-time work-from-home blogger. She shares tips and tricks on making money online, side hustles, freelancing, and blogging through her blog, Mrs. Daaku Studio. Besides blogging, she works as a freelance coach and shares her expertise on YouTube and Instagram. When not blogging, she is traveling, sketching, or doing yoga