Script Writer
Script Writer Salary in California
$157.6K - $163.2K
8% of jobs
$163.2K - $168.7K
10% of jobs
$173K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$168.7K - $174.2K
9% of jobs
$174.2K - $179.7K
9% of jobs
$179.7K - $185.3K
10% of jobs
The median wage is $188.1K / yr.
$185.3K - $190.8K
9% of jobs
$190.8K - $196.3K
10% of jobs
$196.3K - $201.8K
9% of jobs
$203.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$201.8K - $207.4K
9% of jobs
$207.4K - $212.9K
10% of jobs
$212.9K - $218.4K
9% of jobs
$157.6K
$190.8K
$220.4K
$190,782
/year
$91.72
/hour
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How much does a Script Writer make in California?
As of Aug 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Script Writer in California is $190,782 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $91.72 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,668/week or $15,898/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $220,404 and as low as $157,646, the majority of Script Writer salaries currently range between $174,200 (25th percentile) to $207,300 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $217,391 annually in California. The average pay range for a Script Writer varies little (about 33100), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Script Writer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Script Writer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Script Writer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Script Writer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Script Writer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is San Francisco, , with San Jose, and Los Altos, close behind in the second and third positions. Los Altos, beats the average in California by $38,236 (20.0%), and San Francisco, furthers that trend with another $50,633 (26.5%) above the $190,782 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Script Writer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 11% between San Francisco, and Hollywood, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Script Writer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
San Francisco | $241,415 | $116.06 |
San Jose | $229,867 | $110.51 |
Los Altos | $229,018 | $110.10 |
Emeryville | $227,480 | $109.37 |
Livermore | $226,985 | $109.13 |
Sunnyvale | $225,266 | $108.30 |
Berkeley | $220,991 | $106.25 |
Fremont | $218,578 | $105.09 |
Santa Cruz | $216,762 | $104.21 |
Hollywood | $216,230 | $103.96 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Script Writer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Script Writer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $190782 state average for Script Writer jobs.
Nevertheless Engineering Technical Writer, Work From Home Automotive Content Writer, or Medical Technical Writer may still be interesting positions to explore.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Engineering Technical Writer | $93,978 | $45.18 |
Work From Home Automotive Content Writer | $83,049 | $39.93 |
Medical Technical Writer | $79,311 | $38.13 |
Scientific Writer | $69,576 | $33.45 |
Manager Writer | $58,746 | $28.24 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
