Writer & Author salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, a typical writer earned $87,560 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $94,070. About 600 people work in this occupation there.
That is 14% above the national median of $76,910. Compared with all occupations in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (median $60,690), writers earn 44% more. With a location quotient of 1.60, the occupation is more concentrated here than in the US as a whole.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $52,620, while the top 10% earned more than $159,470. Many writers are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $52,620 | $25.30 |
| 25th | $61,260 | $29.45 |
| Median | $87,560 | $42.10 |
| 75th | $109,260 | $52.53 |
| 90th | $159,470 | $76.67 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.