Hmm.

[rhienelleth]

 So, this morning one of MSN's headlines was something like "jobs that make $30 an hour", so curious, I clicked on it.  It's an interesting, but I suspect not exactly conclusive list.  Why?

Well, #10 on the list was:

Writers and authors write material for scripts, magazines, books, websites and other publications.                 

Hourly pay: $31.04         

Annual salary: $64,560

Really?  How did they come by that number?  Is that an average of some kind?  Like, take all the script writers in Hollywood, some of whom might get paid six figures for a single script that may never even get made into a movie, and average them with all the authors out there who can't afford not to quit their day jobs - something like that?  (Disclaimer: I'm sure there are script writers out there who can't quit their day jobs, either.  I'm just saying.  Usually a script sold in Hollywood goes for a LOT more money than the average book contract.)  

Just how did you get those figures, MSN?

Also as an aside, I happen to know that a teacher equipped with a Master's degree and seven years of teaching experience doesn't even make the National average income.  At least in this neck of the woods.  How freaking sad is that?  Teaching is ridiculously low paid.

Comments

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's about 2-3 times what I'm making, and I consider myself to be a moderately successful novelist. On the other hand, their numbers are also assuming a 40 hour/week work week, and I definitely don't get to write 40 hours ever week.

Nonfiction often pays a lot better than fiction, too, which could be another variable.

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

It depends on what they're writing, and whether they're on staff. A staffed (and sometimes well-employed freelancer/contractor) technical writer for a company who is writing for websites, scripts, magazines and books (manuals?) for that company may have a salary closer to that (geography, experience, industry, market, etc. also matters, of course). I'm a staff "writer" for websites (and not very imaginative stuff at that), and while I don't make quite that much, I'm at least near enough to think that's not impossible.

[monimala.livejournal.com]

HA. Yeah, there's no way in hell script writers and magazine writers make that on average.

[featherweight.livejournal.com]

On the teaching thing, contract professors here in Canada (and probably in general) make about $15,000 a year! Of course, there are the tenure-track professorships, but these days those jobs are harder and harder to come by. FIFTEEN! For people with PHDs! It really is appalling.

[dragonsinger.livejournal.com]

How did they figure out the hourly pay? How many hours does a writer work a day?