POPoet
PO
Career

Poet

By the numbers
Typical pay
$76,910 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+3.6% by 2034
People in this job
48K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour

No two days are identical — poets patch together writing, teaching, and hustle. Here's a realistic composite:

08:30
Morning read

Read two poets for 30 minutes — studying how they handle line breaks.

09:00
Draft session

Write new material fast and loose; no editing, just getting words down.

11:00
Revision

Return to yesterday's draft — cut three stanzas, question every adjective.

13:00
Submissions

Format and send two poems to literary journals; log rejections without spiraling.

14:00
Workshop prep

Build tonight's prompt and pull example poems for a community writing class.

15:30
Social & platform

Post a short poem to Instagram; reply to readers, pitch a commissioned piece.

17:00
Grant application

Write the project statement for a fellowship deadline — one shot, make it count.

19:00
Poetry workshop

Lead two hours of writing exercises and feedback with a community group.

21:30
Night notes

Jot raw lines before sleep — the best ideas arrive when the day quiets down.

Things you do
  • Draft and revise poems, choosing every word for sound and meaning.
  • Perform original poems live at open mics, slams, or festivals.
  • Submit work to literary magazines and brace for rejection letters.
  • Read widely to study how other poets use form and language.
  • Apply for grants, fellowships, and residencies to fund your writing.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this poem finished, or am I just tired of working on it?
  • Should I say this plainly, or let the image do the work?
  • Is this piece too personal to share publicly, or is that exactly why I should?
  • Should I submit to prestigious journals and wait, or self-publish now and build my own audience?
  • Do I take this commercial commission for the money, or does it compromise my voice?
Education Pathways · how you get there
77 in 100 went the college route · 23 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
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