Writers and Authors
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
47,940 people do this job in the US. $76,910 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 96%
- 4%
- 0%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 14%. Today's estimate: 20%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.Done daily by most who do it. | 23% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 13% | 4.2 h50 min to 3.1 work days | 10%Half by Jan 2028 | |
| Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 12% | 5 h50 min to 2.1 work days | 10%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | 77%Half by now | |
| Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 8% | 3.3 h50 min to 2.1 work days | 18%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 h50 min to 1.3 work days | 35%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Conduct research and interviews to determine which of a product's selling features should be promoted.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 4.2 h1.3 h to 1.6 work days | 20%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 3% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Write to customers in their terms and on their level so that the script, story, or advertisement message is more readily received.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | 51%Half by now | |
| Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 2% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.3 work weeks | 2%Half by May 2028 | |
| Present drafts and ideas to clients.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 1% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers6,730 people
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services5,910 people
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers5,270 people
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services3,880 people
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools2,310 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).