SOC 27-3043 · Syracuse, NY metro

Writers and Authors Salary in Syracuse, NY

The average salary for writers and authors in Syracuse, New York is $80,160 a year ($38.54 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $71,520: half of the 50 people in this job in the Syracuse, NY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($86,090).

$80,160average per year

$38.54 / hourMedian $71,520Take-home ≈ $61,419

  • $48K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $97K75th
  • $131K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
-7%vs U.S. average
#3 of 5New York metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Writers and Authors pay range in Syracuse

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $131,250 or more. The middle half of writers and authors in Syracuse earn between $50,020 and $97,170.

  • $48K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $97K75th
  • $131K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$80,160$6,680$38.54
Median$71,520$5,960$34.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$50,020$4,168$24.05
Experienced (75th percentile)$97,170$8,098$46.72

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Writers and Authors pay in Syracuse vs. New York and the U.S.

Writers and authors in Syracuse earn 7% less than the U.S. average ($86,090). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $76,910.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Syracuse$80,160$71,520$48,200$131,25050
United States$86,090$76,910$44,310$139,87047,940

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Writers and Authors salary after taxes in Syracuse

On the average salary of $80,160, a single filer in Syracuse takes home about $61,419 a year, or $5,118 a month and $2,362 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

New York paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Syracuse a good place for writers and authors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Syracuse area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.7), so the average $80,160 buys what about $83,725 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Syracuse ($52,990). A typical home costs $264,903, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $80,160 is worth in another city

Writers and Authors salary in other New York cities

Syracuse ranks 3rd of 5 New York metro areas for this job; Albany pays the most ($88,960).

All Writers and Authors salaries in New York

Highest-paying cities for writers and authors

Waterbury, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($186,370).

Writers and Authors salary by city

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Writers and Authors salary in Syracuse: questions

How much do writers and authors make an hour in Syracuse?

$38.54 an hour on average, and $34.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level writers and authors salary in Syracuse?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,020, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the writers and authors take-home pay in Syracuse?

About $61,419 a year ($5,118 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,160. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

Do writers and authors earn more in Syracuse than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($86,090).

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 Syracuse, NY (45060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.59, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.59).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.