The Average Income for a Copywriter
- Copywriters write promotional material for advertising and marketing purposes. In business, their goal is usually to generate sales, while in other organizations their goal may be to raise awareness or solicit cooperation. In any case, "copy" does not exist for its own sake, which sets it apart from most other forms of writing. Instead it exists to provoke a specific response from the audience. Copywriters typically work with other personnel who provide them with the raw data or products that need to be promoted. A good copywriter will strive to write interesting copy that captures the audience's attention and persuades or informs them of whatever is being promoted. They are typically the people who come up with the slogans and jingles that sell a product. Copywriters work in many industries, and their work appears not just in printed media but on television, radio and the Internet. Copywriting is not to be mistaken with copy editing, which involves correcting the grammar and syntax of written material, or copyright, which is a form of intellectual property.
- According to the job search website indeed.com, which aggregates figures from job offerings, ordinary copywriters earn roughly $44,000 to $58,000 annually on average. The salary reporting website PayScale.com suggests a lower range, where copywriters on average earning $33,000 to $52,000 annually. Precise figures are not available because the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics groups copywriters together with all writers and authors.
- There are many roles and levels of copywriter. According to data from indeed, "senior" copywriters earn, on average, $76,000 annually. Sales and customer service copywriters earn $64,000. Legal copywriters earn $58,000. Web copywriters earn $52,000. Copywriters who are also their company's creative director or associate creative director earn a lot more, between $80,000 and $110,000 annually, on average.
- Copywriting is a solid white collar job. Most employers prefer to hire copywriters who have a bachelor's degree, and they may also demand previous experience in marketing or in their industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job growth in the copywriting industry will be in line with job growth throughout the economy through the year 2018. However, it also projects high levels of competition for all writings jobs, although this may be less pitched for copywriters given the universal need of businesses to sustain their marketing operations. Career copywriters can anticipate advancement opportunities into management roles in their company's sales division, and from there into the executive ranks.