Creative pay 2026
Copywriter salary in Indiana (2026)
Writers and copywriters in Indiana earn a median $75,820 a year ($36.45 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($76,910), 14th of 44 states and territories. The median for every job in Indiana is $47,860, so this pays 58% more than the typical job there.
- $75,820median a year in Indiana
- $36.45median an hour
- −1%vs the US median ($76,910)
- 450employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a copywriter in Indiana?
Half of writers and copywriters in Indiana earn between $59,080 and $90,590. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.5 times the 10th, against 3.2 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $51,640 | $44,310 | $24.83 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $59,080 | $58,230 | $28.40 |
| Median | $75,820 | $76,910 | $36.45 |
| 75th | $90,590 | $101,950 | $43.55 |
| 90th percentile | $128,640 | $139,870 | $61.84 |
The mean (average) is $85,430, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Indiana compare with other states?
Indiana sits 14th of 44, between Colorado ($76,830) and Georgia ($74,710).
Which cities in Indiana pay writers and copywriters best?
Of the 4 metro areas in Indiana where BLS publishes a median for the job, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays most, at $75,940, 0% above the state median.
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,120 | $75,940 | $36.51 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 170 | $62,440 | $30.02 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 130 | $52,520 | $25.25 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 50 | $63,640 | $30.60 |
How many writers and copywriters work in Indiana?
BLS estimates 450 employee jobs, 0.14 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.46, where 1 is the US average. The employment estimate is rough: its relative standard error is 17%.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in Indiana?
Copywriter is the best-paid of these creative jobs in Indiana.
| Motion designer | $75,250 | 300 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $63,430 | 1,160 |
| Videographer | $56,810 | 200 |
| Graphic designer | $55,480 | 3,450 |
| Video editor | $46,780 | 450 |
| Photographer | $35,960 | 810 |
What do freelance writers and copywriters charge?
Upwork, copywriters list $19 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Indiana's employee median of $36.45 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average copywriter salary in Indiana?
The median is $75,820 a year and the mean is $85,430, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 450 employee jobs.
How much does a copywriter make an hour in Indiana?
The median hourly wage is $36.45. The bottom 10% earn under $24.83 and the top 10% over $61.84.
What does a starting copywriter earn in Indiana?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of writers and copywriters in Indiana earn under $59,080 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $51,640, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-3043, Writers and Authors. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 450 jobs in the Indiana estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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Copywriter pay in other states
- District of Columbia $129,300
- Maryland $104,330
- Connecticut $98,460
- Louisiana $89,520
- California $86,480
- Washington $85,700
- Massachusetts $85,260
- Virginia $85,000
- New Jersey $81,590
- Oregon $80,540
- Pennsylvania $77,410
- Colorado $76,830