← Creative and media

ANZSCO 2124Skill level 1Creative and media

Writer

Produce long-form, short-form and commercial writing for publishers, brands and government.

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Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1500Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

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What a writer actually does

Writers split into a few rough types: authors of long-form fiction or non-fiction, copywriters in advertising and content, technical writers, screen and theatre writers, and editors. Most writers are freelance or self-employed; only a minority are on staff. A working day mixes drafting, editing other people's drafts for income, sending pitches and invoicing. Authors typically write 500-2000 words a day in a 3-5 hour focused stretch and spend the rest of the day on admin, research and reading. Copywriters in agencies move between brief sessions with art directors, client presentations, and writing across 4-8 active campaigns. Technical writers work in software, government or finance, embedded in a delivery team and writing documentation, release notes and policy. Hours sit at 35-45 in steady periods but stretch around book launches, advertising pitches, or major releases. Australian publishing pays modestly. Most book authors hold a second income source for the first 5-10 years of their career, often editing, teaching or journalism.

Typical tasks

  • Plan and draft long-form work.
  • Edit copy to a style guide.
  • Manage briefs from clients and editors.

Skills you'll use

  • Writing for tone, audience and word count
  • Editing and structural rewriting
  • Research and source assessment
  • Working with editors and taking notes
  • Pitching to agents, publishers or clients
  • Style guide application (Macquarie, AP, in-house)
  • Self-employed admin (invoicing, BAS, GST)
  • Reading widely and consistently

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 12 with English (Advanced or Extension) - other subjects matter less
  2. 2Read constantly across genres; build a writing habit while at school
  3. 3Complete a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Communication, or Bachelor of Creative Writing at a university with strong writing programmes (Melbourne, UTS, Macquarie, QUT, RMIT)
  4. 4Submit short fiction and essays to literary journals, online publications and competitions
  5. 5Pitch articles, content briefs and contributions to outlets and agencies while studying
  6. 6Take a copywriter, content editor or in-house writer role for steady income while you build a long-form portfolio
  7. 7Sign with an Australian literary agent before approaching publishers for fiction or narrative non-fiction
  8. 8Apply for grants and residencies (Australia Council, Copyright Agency, state literary fellowships)

Where you can work

  • Advertising agencies and creative shops
  • In-house brand and content teams at large companies
  • Trade and consumer publishers
  • Government and policy units (writing reports, speeches)
  • Software and tech companies (technical writing, content design)
  • Self-employed freelance covering 3-10 clients
  • Screen and theatre production companies (writers' rooms)
  • Universities and writing centres (sessional teaching)

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Emerging writer
    0-3 years
    Typical roles: Junior copywriter, Content writer, Editorial assistant, Unpublished or first-book author
    Salary band: $55,000 - $70,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Working writer
    4-9 years
    Typical roles: Senior copywriter, Technical writer, Editor, Published author with one or two books
    Salary band: $75,000 - $110,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Established writer
    10+ years
    Typical roles: Senior copy or content director, Lead technical writer or content design lead, Author with steady advances, Screenwriter with produced credits

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You write when no one's asking you to
  • You can take an editor's note and rewrite the whole opening
  • You can sit alone with a draft for long hours
  • You read widely and constantly
  • You can run yourself as a small business and chase invoices

This might not suit you if

  • You only want to write your own ideas and never write to brief
  • You can't take rejection (most writers get rejected weekly)
  • You expect strong income from book sales alone
  • You hate solitude and need a team energy every day
  • You can't manage long periods between paid work

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for writer. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

No direct TAFE pathway to this career.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.