You don’t have to be the next bestselling author to have a profitable writing career. Thanks to the rapidly growing digital world, you can pursue a smorgasbord of satisfying opportunities for the seasoned wordsmith. From crafting compelling narratives to decoding complex technical jargon, talented writers can be found across every industry. To get those inspirational juices flowing, we will talk about nine flourishing roles for professional writers that have nothing to do with writing novels or teaching classes.
Along with their average and overall salaries and job descriptions, here is the list of careers you can expect to learn about from this article:
- Editors
- Grant Writer and Proposal Writer for Non-Profit Organizations
- Medical Writer
- Transcriptionist
- Video Game Writer
- Copywriter
- Content Marketing Manager
- Technical Writer
- Communications Specialist
The Wonderful Working World for Writers
1. Editors
Average salary: $57,164
Salary range: $38,000–$85,000
This is one of the most common paths for those who have begun to master language and writing. Editors tend to stay with a project from inception to final publication. What that entails depends on the type and style of writing you’re editing. They help writers on the team hone their pieces, catch any errors, complete a fact-check, and ensure sources are credible. Rather than make all the changes themselves, editors usually make suggestions for improvement, whether it be pointing out inconsistencies, grammar and spelling errors, or unnecessary sentences.
There are three types of literary editors:
- Developmental Editors: They focus on the big-picture aspects of manuscripts. They help with plot structure, pacing, character development, and putting the finishing touches on the overall story arc. They ensure your story is tight and engaging from start to finish. These wizards see where all the pieces of the puzzle go before it’s put together!
- Copyeditors/Line Editors: These editors dive into the details of your writing, reviewing manuscripts line by line. They focus on sentence structure, word choice, and clarity, and they check for grammatical errors, punctuation, and consistency, of course. These wordsmiths whip manuscripts into the polished and precise works of art they deserve to be.
- Proofreaders: The final set of eyes on your manuscript, proofreaders catch any remaining typos, spelling mistakes, or formatting issues. They ensure your work is error-free and ready for publication.
Editors exist in all avenues of writing and are hired by all organizations that produce written content or communications. Publishing houses, media companies, magazines, newspapers, journals, non-profit organizations, and freelance book editors — you get the idea! Editors can work for clients through online proofreading services or in-house for companies — and let’s not forget the freelance route if you have the stones for it!
2. Grant Writer and Proposal Writer for Non-Profit Organizations
Average salary: $76,368
Salary range: $68,631-$85,956
Use your words to aid a good cause! A writer for a non-profit organization (NPO) helps communicate their mission, impact, and financial needs. They write compelling grant proposals to secure funding from foundations, the government, and other donors. They create social media content, blogs, newsletters, and press releases and collaborate on events. They use their creative writing skills to tell stories about beneficiaries, volunteers, and the good that the organization is doing. Basically, these writers know how to tug on heartstrings and purse strings!
3. Medical Writer
Average salary: $78,571
Salary range: $60,000–$108,000
For writers with a passion for all things healthcare, a career as a medical writer could be waiting for you. You’ll find them involved in various project types — like medical articles, policy documents, and training or educational materials — and working in a variety of settings within the pharmaceutical, medical device, supplements, and health tech industries. Their main goal is usually to break down incredibly complex concepts in the medical field and write much easier-to-digest copy. So, medical and scientific know-how is necessary to become a medical writer. Because of that, they tend to have degrees or backgrounds in one of the sciences and experience in the medical field, but hard work and knowledge can get you started with entry-level jobs while you work on qualifications.
4. Transcriptionist
Average salary: $22.77 per hour
Salary range: $16.00-$45.29 per hour
Are you an excellent listener who can type 50+ words a minute? Combine that with your sharp command of English grammar, and what you have is a qualified transcriptionist! They are professionals who listen to recordings and write everything they hear or see into text. While they are creating written copies of video and audio content, they follow the guidelines and standards of this industry — not unlike the AP and MLA formatting styles, but entirely unique to itself — and they need a fair amount of editing skills for this because the attention to detail is crucial when proofreading transcriptions without compromising the original meaning. When moving up the career ladder with additional skills, you can get into more niche titles like court reporter and legal transcriptionist. One of the best things about this job, though, is a high amount of flexibility and control when making your work schedule. Plus, there are a lot of work-from-home positions out there!
5. Video Game Writer
Average salary: $72,751
Salary range: $61,733-$84,157
If you’re also a talented, creative writer who enjoys interactive storytelling and video games, then you might consider a career as a video game writer. They create in-game dialogue, audio logs, item descriptions, and quests. These skilled writers know how to convey emotions, build tension, and paint vivid imagery with words. As gamers, they understand how games function. They are familiar with branching narratives and incorporating player choices into the story. Move up the career ladder, and you can collaborate on shaping characters and contributing to the story’s narrative.
6. Copywriter
Average salary: $56,592
Salary range: $40,000–$79,000
You’ve probably heard of this one before. Copywriters are found everywhere, supporting businesses that produce any kind of written content — whether that’s in the form of an advertisement, a website landing page, a sales letter, newsletters, emailers, captions, or even a meme. Ultimately, they focus on two things: writing material that persuades the reader to do something or feel a certain way and creating content that helps the business generate revenue. Companies need talented writers who love to collaborate to accomplish that!
7. Content Marketing Manager
Average salary: $71,590
Salary range: $49,000–$104,000
If you enjoy creating strategies and making plans as much as you love writing, then a career in content marketing might be just the niche for you! Marketing managers take charge when it comes to developing and executing ideas for the company, including but not limited to utilizing blogs, eBooks, white papers, website content, emailers, and social media posts. Many employers prefer a degree-holding candidate, but they are far more interested in their ability to strategize, create, and promote. Content marketing managers’ roles also have one of the greatest opportunities for upward mobility on the career ladder!
8. Technical Writer
Average salary: $63,929
Salary range: $46,000–$91,000
Do you like translating incredibly complex technical material into something the general audience can read and understand? You could be a great technical writer. They create instruction manuals, tutorials, articles, and educational resources. You’ll need to gain a deep understanding of the tech-related niche you want to write for — like computer science, information technology, field-specific research, environmental policy, manufacturing processes, engineering concepts, and other STEM-related knowledge. Not to worry, though. Writing is still the main part of this gig. The best part is, depending on your drive to succeed, a degree is not absolutely necessary.
9. Communications Specialist or Manager
Average salary: $69,856
Salary range: $46,000 – $109,000
This is for the people who enjoy such activities as putting together presentations, writing speeches, describing complex material in approachable ways, and writing engagement briefings and press releases. If that’s you, consider looking into the communications field. Professional writers can be a great fit because you generally need to be proficient in AP style and have a talent for “storytelling” tones. Even as an entry-level role, they might be tasked to communicate the ideas, objectives, mission, and management philosophy to the intended audience.
Say Goodbye to the “Starving Artist” Stereotype
These options — and many more — defy the outdated “starving artist” stereotype. Professional writing can absolutely lead to stable and fulfilling careers. All you need to do is dream big. Chase those thriving opportunities and bring your writing to the working world!
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