Also called: Fiction Writer, Book Author
Writes books: novels, nonfiction, memoirs, or young-adult fiction.
A novelist might write 1,000 words every morning, revise chapters based on an editor's notes in the afternoon, and do a school visit or book signing on weekends. Most keep a day job for years.
Most authors earn little from books alone; a typical traditional debut advance is $5k-$50k paid over years. Bestselling authors earn millions.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. No degree required; many study English or creative writing (MFA optional).
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: English, Creative Writing.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Approximate: BLS projects roughly flat-to-average growth for writers and authors; AI is a major wildcard.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI-written books flood stores and pressure pay, but readers still seek original human stories and voices.
Classes: Creative writing, English literature, AP Literature, History.
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.