Salary data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Writer & Author salary in Knoxville, TN
$63,080
Median annual
$30.33
Median hourly
$77,230
Mean annual
180
Employed
In Knoxville, TN, a typical writer earned $63,080 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $77,230. About 180 people work in this occupation there.
That is 18% below the national median of $76,910. Compared with all occupations in Knoxville, TN (median $47,080), writers earn 34% more. With a location quotient of 1.38, the occupation is more concentrated here than in the US as a whole.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,410, while the top 10% earned more than $141,480. Many writers are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,410 | $21.35 |
| 25th | $47,120 | $22.65 |
| Median | $63,080 | $30.33 |
| 75th | $101,560 | $48.83 |
| 90th | $141,480 | $68.02 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.