Today, the online marketing industry is booming.
40% of the world’s population has an online presence. In total, over 3 billion people use the internet; a number that went up from 738 million to 3.2 billion in the last 15 years.
With a visitor presence as strong as that, today’s marketing is best done online.
Add onto that the fact that many states have increased their tech-sector hiring; startups are popping up all over the virtual landscape. As startup agencies launch, and the need to have a powerful presence online increases, so does something else:
Copywriting jobs and opportunities.
The meat of a great online presence is content marketing, and more of it: so, copywriters are in demand today. And that demand is only growing.
Copywriters, You’re Needed
As copywriters, we’ve gone from suffering jokes at the hands of our doctorate or lawyer friends (“what are you ever going to do with that English degree?”) to being an in-demand, highly employable class of professionals in a highly dynamic climate.
As the market continues to shift, grow and change, one thing is clear: copywriters will continue to play an important part in creating and distributing the content that makes people sit up and take notice of new technologies.
In addition to being knowledgeable about good marketing practices, copywriters can also help new and established companies beef up their SEO game, create intriguing content and help birth campaigns that go viral. Fortunately, there are dozens of cities right now that are a virtual gold mine for copywriters. These cities offer exciting, diverse jobs in the tech industry through hundreds of well-known companies, some of which (LinkedIn, for example) are current in the inbound marketing and content marketing worlds.
According to Study.com, the need for copywriters is projected to go up 6% between 2012-2022 and according to GlassDoor.com, the national average salary for copywriters is over $58k annually. Because of this and because of the increasing demand the field is experiencing, being a copywriter is a hot gig right now.
The 8 Best Cities for Copywriting Opportunities & Jobs
We sat down to research the best cities for copywriters to find job opportunities in, and here’s what we found! (Updated December 2015.)
1. San Jose, California
It should come as no surprise that Silicon Valley is booming for talented writers. In San Jose, out of every 1,000 jobs, 126 are in the tech industry, which means plenty of jobs for copywriters and content marketers. Additionally, San Jose has one of the highest tech-related salaries in the country right now – an average of $130K each year. As home to big-name tech companies like Apple, Adobe and eBay, Silicon Valley is currently one of the best places in the country for copywriters who want to work in a fast-paced, tech-focused environment.
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
If you’re a talented writer looking for work in the tech, advertising or PR industries right now, there’s no place like Minneapolis. In fact, the city is so rich with high-paying, unique jobs that some major media outlets are referring to the phenomena as “The Miracle of Minneapolis.” This is due in large part to the fact that the city combines affordable housing, great jobs and high salaries to create a highly livable market for skilled writers, editors and marketers. Minneapolis is home to several dozen huge company headquarters, including Novu, Target, Best Buy and C.H. Robinson, which have increased hiring in the tech sectors by 8.36% in the last six months. Companies like this are growing quickly and all of them need copywriters.
3. Seattle, Washington
The Seattle metro area has always been a writer’s paradise and today is no different. Home to tech colossuses like Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing, the city also boasts outposts of companies like Expedia, Zillow, Google, Facebook and Twitter. Within the Seattle area, 77 out of 1,000 jobs are tech-focused and those involved in the area’s tech industry make about $108K annually. In addition to the ample jobs in the area, the city also has a high quality of life and provides access to some of the best art, cultural events and food in the country.
4. San Francisco, California
Don’t jump to rope it in with Silicone Valley too quickly – San Francisco is home to plenty tech companies of its own and boasts a totally different environment than its neighbor to the South. Copywriters here can choose to work for companies like Google, Twitter, Pinterest, Yelp, Dropbox, Yahoo, Oracle, LinkedIn and Salesforce, among others. There are literally hundreds of copywriting jobs in this city and the lucky ones who get them will enjoy views of the bay and never-ending clam chowder with a side of job satisfaction.
5. Washington, DC
In the metro area that surrounds the country’s capital, copywriters can expect to find ample jobs. The area has a strong tech scene and over 79 out of every 1,000 jobs are tech-focused. The area also has over 1,000 startups, including companies like Urgent.ly and Soundtracker, which makes it a vibrant and dynamic place for copywriters and marketers alike.
6. Austin, Texas
In addition to boasting one of the best music scenes in the country, Austin is a formidable player in the tech and startup circles. Home to companies like Dell, RetailMeNot, Main street Hub and Yodle, 58 out of every 1,000 jobs in Austin are in the tech industry and copywriters won’t have any trouble finding a job they love. Additionally, the city is home to the South by Southwest festival, which debuts new technologies and provides one of the best possible networking and educational opportunities for copywriters, SEOs and marketers.
FYI: Our own Express Writers is located here!
7. Boston, Massachusetts
Unlike many areas in the country, which are startup-dense and mainstay-sparse, Boston offers a healthy mix of both. Ideal for the copywriter who wants to work for companies like HubSpot, Wayfair, TripAdvisor, WordStream, Constant Contact or HourlyNerd, copywriters in Boston can expect to find that roughly 57 out of every 1,000 jobs are tech-focused. The area does have high rental prices but the quality of living is outstanding and copywriters who land jobs in the area will enjoy the ample opportunity the city offers.
8. New York, New York
The original home of the fedora-clad, pipe-smoking, typewriter tapping writers of old, New York is still a formidable player in the tech industry game. The city offers hundreds of copywriting jobs at major companies like Chloe + Isabel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Entrée Health, Deep Focus, Wunderman, Barneys New York and Bed Bath & Beyond. Copywriters who land jobs in New York will have no trouble expanding outward into work with tech companies, advertising firms, publications or retail establishments, thanks to the ample opportunity inherent within New York and the sheer concentration of businesses the city has to offer.
Need a guidebook to help you boost your copywriting skills? Our CEO, Julia McCoy, wrote a bestseller on the topic!
The Vital Role of the Copywriter
Copywriters wear many hats – from writing web copy for companies to researching keywords, staying up-to-date on industry news, events and happenings and attending conferences to studying new platforms in the inbound and content marketing fields, copywriters are one of the major forces that allow web-based business to interact effectively and to expand their reach and message to new customers.
Although copywriters have always been an integral part of marketing and distribution, everything right now is online, which means that the need for copywriters has skyrocketed.
The Future of Copywriting Opportunities
Copywriting is a booming industry right now. As new companies are born and begin to flourish, copywriters become more and more in-demand. In order to stand out in today’s market environment, companies need highly skilled writers that are capable of developing and dispensing specific brand voices, conducting research on target audiences and creating web, print and visual content that catches customers’ eyes and helps the company differentiate itself from the crowd.
In many ways, it’s safe to say that it is virtually impossible for modern companies to attain success without the help of a dedicated team of marketing, SEO and copywriting professionals.
Today’s business environment runs on content and inbound marketing, and one of the only things that sets companies apart from one another in today’s overly crowded field is great content. Companies that can create great content that delivers true value and interest to readers are the ones that will snag sales, acquire new customers and achieve market dominance.
Looking forward, it seems like behind every great company will be a team of skilled copywriters who serve to make the magic happen. Because of this, it’s a great time to be a copywriter – and copywriter jobs are abundant. Even if you don’t make a pilgrimage to one of the 8 cities we mentioned above, it’s a safe bet that every company everywhere needs content.
From intriguing menus to highly technical eBooks and white pages, copywriters are the glue that holds modern companies together and the future, friends, looks bright.
Need to find a great copywriter of your own? Get a free content strategy call with us!