Also called: Punch-Up Writer, Monologue Writer
Writes jokes for comedians, talk show hosts, award shows, and punches up scripts.
A late-night monologue writer reads the morning news and writes 50 jokes before lunch; the host picks the best 15. Punch-up writers are hired to make movie scripts funnier.
Approximate; WGA scale.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Comedy experience; many start in stand-up or improv.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: English, Theater.
Growing about average. Competitive.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI can churn out jokes, cutting routine punch-up work; sharp, timely material for top hosts still needs humans.
Classes: Creative writing, English, Theater, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-3043.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.