Six Careers for People Who Love To Write

Strawberry Opportunities
Nov 25, 2020
5 min read

Welcome to DAY 3 of the Thanksgiving Blog Series.

Written by Minna Chow

Edited by Krithika Rajesh

Words are powerful. They’re how we communicate with each other, after all. The ability to clearly express yourself is crucial for your success and well-being. Knowing how to write well is a skill everyone benefits from.

That said, writing isn’t just a means to an end for some people. Writing can be a subject, just like math or science, and it can also be a craft. There’s a sort of magic in connecting with others, in being understood, in being able to use words to change the world—even if it’s just a little.

If you’re captivated by this magic and want to make it all the time, this is the list for you! Here are six careers for people who love to write.

Editor

Editors look over the content other people write, simple as that! At their heart, they offer a different perspective on the work that a creator does and offer their advice on how to make it better.

Where do they work? Editors are employed by publishing houses, print media sources such as newspapers or magazines, and even work as freelancers. If there are written content being produced, there’s a good chance they’ll need an editor to go along with it. However, some of the most lucrative positions are at major publishing houses.

What’s the job outlook? Not the best. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, editors' employment is expected to decline 3% from 2018 to 2028.

How much will I make? The median income in 2018 was $61,370 per year, ranging from $32,620 to $122,280 per year (the latter probably represents editorial executives.)

What qualifications do I need? An entry-level editor generally has a bachelor’s degree, to begin with. There isn’t a specific degree that naturally feeds into an editing career, but most editors have an English, communications, or journalism major. Employers also like to see job experience.

Copywriter

Copywriters write to sell a product or service. Their job is to work with clients to create compelling, engaging content to attract consumers. They often don’t get many words to work with and invent creative ways to get their message across.

Where do they work? Copywriters can work at advertising agencies, or they can freelance.

What’s the job outlook? Looking up! The employment of writers in the advertising and public relations fields is expected to grow 6% from 2018 to 2028.

How much will I make? The median income in 2018 was $51,634 per year, ranging from $37,000 to $75,000 per year. Some Senior Copywriters can make up to $99,000 per year.

What qualifications do I need? Typically, employers want to see that you have a bachelor's degree, preferably in a related field like English or marketing. It’s also important to have a portfolio and to develop some work experience.

What could I be doing?

Writing jingles and slogans for a company or product.
Creating the tagline for a digital ad
Working on press releases or catalogs

Journalist

Journalists report information to the public. They can write about a plethora of topics, from politics and economics to culture and food. Even though journalists usually report through news articles, they might also make news videos or podcasts. A journalist must have an interest in the world around them and a sense for a good story.

Where do they work? Journalists might be writing their articles in an office—or they might be on an airplane on their way to an interview. Suffice it to say, journalists are often out and about researching their next article.

What’s the job outlook? Youch. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of reporters, broadcast analysts, and correspondence is projected to shrink 10% from 2018 to 2028. Most of this shrinkage is because of the internet.

How much will I make? The median income in 2018 was $41,260, with a range from $23,490 to $100,930.

What qualifications do I need? Employers strongly prefer a bachelor’s degree in a related major like journalism or communications and relevant work experience like an internship.

Technical Writer

Technical writers are charged with communicating complex material through instructions, manuals, guides, or journal articles. They write for a wide range of target audiences, from guides for professionals to how-to instructions for your everyday person, and are in charge of designing content that resonates with them. Technical writers often work in STEM-related fields, like medicine, technology, or engineering. It isn’t glamorous work, but it’s in high demand, and you’ll be using your words for a good cause.

Where do they work? Most technical writers work for a company, but some are freelancers.

What’s the job outlook? Looking pretty good! Employment is expected to rise by 8% from 2018-2028.

How much will I make? The median annual wage in 2019 was $72,850, ranging from $44,320 to $117,250.

What qualifications do I need? You know the drill: A bachelor’s degree in a related field, like English or communications, is often required. Additionally, you may need to get a technical writing certificate or go through on-the-job training.

Ghostwriter

Ghostwriters create content for patrons who then claim the pieces as their own. They write everything from blogs to memoirs to novels. It’s the ghostwriter’s job to take someone else’s ideas and convey them using someone else’s voice, and you might have to sign a non-disclosure agreement now and then. Fortunately, ghostwriters aren’t completely invisible: there are multiple ghostwriting associations, and ghostwriters have the potential to be credited.

Where do they work? Ghostwriting is primarily a freelance business (although there are some ghostwriting companies), which means ghostwriters can be writing from… well, anywhere, really!

What’s the job outlook? For… obvious reasons, it’s difficult to tell what the job outlook is for such a secretive job. That said, the market suffers from the same pitfalls of most writing careers: more people want jobs than there are jobs to take.

How much will I make? Ghostwriters are usually paid by the job, the hour, or the word. As a whole, writers make a median of $63,200.

What qualifications do I need? You’ll want some writing experience before you begin ghostwriting. Writers also usually begin their career with a bachelor’s degree, and college can give you important opportunities.

Content Creator

This is what people usually think of when they imagine a career in writing and covers any business where you’re producing content—magazine writers, novelists, short story writers, bloggers, scriptwriters, etc. Creating content for its own sake is a difficult and uncertain career, but you aren’t alone. You also don’t have to be a content creator: you can always have another job as well.

Where do they work? Content creators can write for companies, or they can write freelance.

What’s the job outlook? 0%. Writers and authors are projected to have no change in employment between 2018 and 2028. This is because, even though the rise of the internet’s created new opportunities for content creation, jobs in traditional print industries are projected to decline.

How much will I make? As mentioned above, writers make a median income of $63,200 in 2019, with a range from about $33,660 to $122,450.

What qualifications do I need? Technically none, but many writing jobs call for a bachelor's degree.

There we have it! You have choices if you want to write for a career, but it isn’t easy. (Then again, things worth doing usually aren’t!)

So, what can you do now if you want to become a writer in the future? Here are a few ways to sharpen your skills in high school.

Take challenging courses that focus on writing, such as honors or AP English classes.
Look around for opportunities to write. Does your school have a newspaper or magazine?
Try to read some more, especially in the fields you’re interested in.
Hone your computer skills. In this day and age, writers have to be fluent with the keyboard more than the pen.

Happy writing! I wish you all the best.

[Sources: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Princeton Review, Study.com, The Balance Careers, Payscale, Career Explorer, The Houston Chronicle, Forbes]