America's Newest Profession

1.7 million Americans earn some income as "bloggers"

[stajer]

The best studies we can find say we are a nation of over 20 million bloggers, with 1.7 million profiting from the work ,and 452,000 of those using blogging as their primary source of income. That's almost 2 million Americans getting paid by the word, the post, or the click -- whether on their site or someone else's. And that's nearly half a million of whom it can be said, as Bob Dylan did of Hurricane Carter: "It's my work he'd say, I do it for pay."

[online.wsj.com ]

[Musicarl]

This article must have a pretty wide definition of "blogging." To arrive at those numbers, they must can including anyone who writes for a website, posts promotional stuff on Facebook, sends press releases, etc. Essentially, it's writers, marketing pros and entrepeneurs who have changed with the times.

[Yoshimi]

Already more Americans are making their primary income from posting their opinions than Americans working as computer programmers, firefighters or even bartenders.

And yet (albeit based in the UK) I know 3-4 computer programmers, 1 firefighter, and a dozen bar tenders, yet no-one who makes their primary income from blogging.

[piatkow]

I think I have had one adsense click off mine!

On the other hand it was set up as a way to keep family updated rather than to earn money so even the odd ten cents is a bonus.

Whenever job cuts threaten at work I think about trying to make more off my blog and hobby sites but between the need to hold down a day job and the desire to have a life I never quite get around to it.

[LifeinAsia]

A recently unemployed person makes $100/month from AdSense on his blog about being recently unemployed. This would therefore count as his "primary income" being from blogging.

So I think a deeper question is whether the "primary income" people are getting from their blogs is actually enough income to sustain a decent life.

[Jane_Doe]

I doubt the numbers are accurate. In the online dating research study written up in Freakanomics, many people inflated their incomes in their dating profiles. So any unverified, self reported income from surveys may be suspect as well.

I personally never respond to surveys except when I'm forced to in order to sign up for something, and then I just pick the first answer listed to any question.

[Slinger]

Yes, yes, i have thousands of friends who are making a living writing blogs. Yup. They are buying houses, raising children, driving SUV's. Oh sure...I know tons of people making money via blogging....(cough, cough)... NOT.

[LifeinAsia]

You know, the more I think about it, I think this exact same article was written twice before. About 10 years ago substituting "people with web sites" for blogging. And maybe 5 years ago about "selling on eBay." In every case, it's the same mantra- throw up something online and you'll get rich overnight.

Well, it didn't work for most of the people trying to make money with a web site. It didn't work for most of the people selling on eBay. And it's not going to work for most of the people blogging.

Yet I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same 20 million in each case chasing that quick-buck rainbow. And they'll be the same 20 million people when the article gets re-written in another 5 years for that time period's must-do profession.

[dailypress]

It takes about 100,000 unique visitors a month to generate an income of $75,000 a year

How does that work? 100,000 visitors/month = roughly $6000/month ?

[Rosalind]

How does that work? 100,000 visitors/month = roughly $6000/month ?

It works because it's a complete fairytale. It could be any numbers at all, and equally valid.