Exploring Writing Careers: 13 Types of Writers

Different types of writers can lead vastly different career paths from one another. You might be thinking of being a content writer, novelist or journalist, but the steps you take to get there will depend on your unique writing skills, interests, writing styles and what you’d like to get out of your career. Maya Angelou was a streetcar driver, dancer and newspaper editor before she became a novelist. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was first a stage actor and then a screenwriter on Broadway before he was a screenwriter in Hollywood.

By exploring different types of writing jobs, you can better determine whether you’d like to be a full-time in-office copywriter for a marketing agency or one of the many freelance writers who work as bloggers, technical writers, grant writers and more.

Before you dive into these different types of writing opportunities, it’s important to think about what sort of projects you’d like to work on and where you see yourself in five years. By analyzing yourself and learning more about how you could fit into potential writing jobs, you’ll be on your way to being a full-time professional writer.

13 Different Types of Writers & Their Careers

There are dozens of ways to use your writing skills to build a career or just make some extra income. You might take out pen and paper as you look through these thirteen distinct writing careers, their expected salaries and writing styles so that you can remember what interests you about each role and other questions you might have.

1. Copywriter

Job Description: A copywriter creates compelling written content for websites, marketing brochures, social media, and email marketing campaigns. Their content should inform, engage, and persuade their target audience to achieve specific marketing goals.

Salary Expectation: $42,229-$95,982

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Content writing
Communication
Research
Persuasive writing
Creative thinking
Audience empathy

Writing Style: Persuasive, Informative, Value-based

Best For: Writers who love playing with language, crafting catchy phrases and finding the right words to convey a persuasive message.

Recommended Resources:

2. Technical Writer

Job Description: Technical writing is a complex form of writing usually used when writing manuals or instructional documents. A technical writer will need to know how to transform in-depth knowledge about technical products or processes into concise and easily understandable language.

Salary Expectation: $40,600-$102,932

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Organizational
Research
Niche-Based
Editing and Proofreading

Writing Style: Technical

Best For: A writer who enjoys exploring complex subjects, understanding intricate details and translating technical jargon into clear and concise documents.

Recommended Resources:

3. Content Writer

Job Description: Unlike a copywriter who is focused on persuading their audience of something, content writers focus solely on educational, informational and value-based content. A content writer usually works as a blogger, social media content creator, and web content creator.

Salary Expectation: $54,000-$100,000

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

SEO
Research
Audience Empathy
Collaboration
Communication

Writing Style: Educational, Value-based and Conversational.

Best For: A writer who enjoys presenting information in an engaging way, a love for learning new things and can take on the voice of different brands or people.

Recommended Resources:

4. Ghostwriter

Job Description: A ghostwriter writes works like novels, blog posts and magazine articles that will be officially credited to another author.

Salary Expectation: $49,475-$61,687

Education Required: High School Diploma

Skills:

Narrative writing
Adaptability
Interviewing
Research
Communication

Writing Style: Narrative and Personal.

Best For: A writer who is passionate about taking other people’s stories and transforming them into insightful, compelling and authentic written works.

Recommended Resources:

5. Screenwriter

Job Description: Screenwriters, also known Scriptwriters, write the screenplays for films, TV, theater and videogames. They work closely with the producers and directors to develop characters and storylines within their scripts.

Salary Expectation: $51,783-$68,409

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Character Development
Storytelling
Collaborative
Creative

Writing Style: Narrative, Dialogue-driven and Visual.

Best For: Writers who enjoy storytelling, character building and working collaboratively.

Recommended Resources:

6. Corporate Communications Writer

Job Description: Corporate communications writers create written content for internal and external communications for larger companies. Within the role, the writer will write content for company websites, handbooks, emails and more.

Salary Expectation: $64,000-$104,000

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Search Engine Optimization
Business writing
Strategic communication
Organization

Writing Style: Clear, Business-focused and Brand-based.

Best For: A writer who is detail-oriented, can adjust writing to the desired audience and has a good blend of communication and strategic thinking skills.

Recommended Resources:

7. Journalist

Job Description: A journalist researches, interviews potential sources, writes and edits news stories, features and other investigative pieces. Journalists most often work for magazines, newspapers, journals and other written media platforms.

Salary Expectation: $26,300-$87,400

Education Required: Associate’s Degree

Skills:

Interviewing
Research
Editing
Fact-checking
Expository writing

Writing Style: Objective, Unbiased, Engaging and Informative.

Best For: A writer who likes to uncover the truth behind stories, inform and engage with the public, and a deadline-driven go-getter.

Recommended Resources:

8. Sports Writer

Job Description: A sports writer can be a journalist or content writer who writes about sports events, news, players, coaches and more. They’ll usually write news articles and other written content for magazines, newspapers and online publications.

Salary Expectation: $16,900-$85,961

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Sports analysis
Interviewing
Editing
Research

Writing Style: Objective, Unbiased, Engaging and Informative.

Best For: A writer who is a sports fan, deadline-oriented, and can put strong, compelling stories together with clear facts.

Recommended Resources:

9. UX Writer

Job Description: A UX writer plans and creates the copy used in apps, websites, digital products and software that helps guide the user through using the product.

Salary Expectation: $70,000-$114,000

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree

Skills:

Technical writing
User research
Micro-copywriting
Content strategy
Design thinking

Writing Style: Technical, Concise and Informational.

Best For: A writer who likes solving problems, understanding user needs, working in a team and can creatively explain complicated ideas in a concise way.

Recommended Resources:

10. Legal Writer

Job Description: A legal writer researches and analyzes cases and other legal information and transforms it into high-quality legal documents. Legal writers draft legal documents like wills and contracts, write letters to clients and briefs.

Salary Expectation: $60,928-$75,932

Education Required: High School Diploma

Skills:

Legal research and analysis
Strong grammar
Organizational
Research

Writing Style: Formal, Technical, Precise and Informational.

Best For: Writers who are interested in legal topics, enjoy simplifying complex topics into concise written works and possess strong attention to detail.

Recommended Resources:

How to Become a Legal Writer

11. Travel Writer

Job Description: A travel writer uses descriptive writing to create blog posts, itineraries, books and articles about their own travels, tourist destinations, and different cultures and travel experiences. Their jobs usually include researching upcoming trips, traveling and often taking photos.

Salary Expectation: $52,098-$71,212

Education Required: High School Diploma

Skills:

Research
Storytelling
Cultural sensitivity
Adaptability
Creativity

Writing Style: Conversational, Visual, Descriptive and Informational.

Best For: A writer who loves to travel, enjoys interacting with new people and cultures, has a descriptive, visual writing style and has experience in other communication mediums like social media and podcasts.

Recommended Resources:

12. Non-Fiction Writer

Job Description: A non-fiction writer researches and creates written content about real-world topics, historical events, important figures and more. They often write biographies, historical novels, informational articles and more.

Salary Expectation: $5,000-$100,000

Education Required: High School Diploma

Skills:

Fact-checking
Research
Editing
Narrative writing

Writing Style: Educational, Narrative, and Compelling

Best For: A writer who is passionate and knowledgeable about specific topics, curious, and enjoys long-form writing.

Recommended Resources:

13. Fiction Writer

Job Description: A fiction writer brainstorms and writes stories about made-up characters using imagined storylines. When writing fiction, these writers will often employ multiple forms such as a short story, novel or videogame copy. Whether a short story writer or a full-blown novelist, these creative writers employ point of view, characters, setting and plot to make their story feel realistic and compelling.

Salary Expectation: $5,000-$100,000

Education Required: High School Diploma

Skills:

Creative writing
Plot/Character development
Worldbuilding
Editing

Writing Style: Narrative and Creative.

Best For: A writer who has a vivid imagination, enjoys storytelling, has a deep emotional understanding of people and stories.

Recommended Resources:

Master Writing with Skillshare

Learning what it takes to become different types of writers and what each job entails can help guide you toward the right role for you. With such a diverse range of writing jobs out there, it’s important to experiment with different writing roles by doing internships, conducting informational interviews or taking Skillshare classes with successful writers. The more writing advice you can receive, the more you’ll be able to improve your own writing process and figure out where your writing skills will fit best.

Written By

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.