24 sourced rate rows across 10 disciplines, from the Editorial Freelancers Association's member survey and PayScale's self-reported pay data. Filter by discipline and unit, then compare your own rate against the range. Every row shows its source and the date it was captured.
Enter your rate and its unit; every row below in that unit shows where your number falls against it.
| Discipline | Task | Unit | Low | Median | High | Experience band | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog & Article Writing | Articles/essays, work-for-hire | Per word | 25.0¢ | 35.0¢ | 45.0¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Blog & Article Writing | Freelance content writer, all niches | Per hour | $14.66 | $21.86 | $46.89 | All experience levels (n=851) | PayScale — Freelance Content Writer Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| General Freelance Writing | Freelance writer, all niches | Per hour | $15.45 | $30.28 | $50.42 | All experience levels (n=112) | PayScale — Freelance Writer Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Copywriting | Copywriter, general | Per hour | $17.45 | $27.46 | $59.43 | All experience levels (n=336) | PayScale — Copywriter Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Copywriting | Direct-response copywriter | Per hour | $18.43 | $31.53 | $71.63 | All experience levels (n=151) | PayScale — Direct Response Copywriter Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Copywriting | Senior copywriter | Per hour | $21.54 | $51.57 | $102.40 | Senior/experienced (n=57) | PayScale — Senior Copywriter Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Technical Writing | Technical writing, work-for-hire | Per hour | $60.00 | $79.28 | $98.56 | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Technical Writing | Technical writer, general | Per hour | $19.91 | $29.56 | $48.91 | All experience levels (n=468) | PayScale — Technical Writer Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Technical Writing | Senior technical writer | Per hour | $34.39 | $49.96 | $74.72 | Senior/experienced (n=65) | PayScale — Senior Technical Writer Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Ghostwriting | Ghostwritten blog posts | Per word | 25.0¢ | 32.5¢ | 40.0¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Ghostwriting | Ghostwritten business/marketing content | Per word | 50.0¢ | 75.0¢ | $1.00 | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Ghostwriting | Ghostwritten memoir (book-length) | Per hour | $80.00 | $90.00 | $100.00 | Book-length/memoir | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Copyediting, fiction manuscripts | Per word | 2.0¢ | 2.4¢ | 2.7¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Developmental editing, fiction manuscripts | Per word | 3.0¢ | 3.3¢ | 3.5¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Proofreading, fiction manuscripts | Per word | 1.2¢ | 1.6¢ | 2.0¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Proofreader, general | Per hour | $14.92 | $21.08 | $35.11 | All experience levels (n=170) | PayScale — Proofreader Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Copy editor, general | Per hour | $15.66 | $25.60 | $47.94 | All experience levels (n=153) | PayScale — Copy Editor Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Editing & Proofreading | Managing editor | Per hour | $15.25 | $22.13 | $42.71 | Senior/managing (n=30) | PayScale — Managing Editor Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Content Marketing & SEO Writing | Business/marketing content, work-for-hire | Per word | 32.0¢ | 60.0¢ | 87.5¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Content Marketing & SEO Writing | Content strategist | Per hour | $19.15 | $30.12 | $69.70 | All experience levels (n=94) | PayScale — Content Strategist Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Journalism | Freelance journalist, general assignment | Per hour | $13.25 | $19.83 | $40.56 | All experience levels (n=76) | PayScale — Journalist Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Grant Writing | Grant writer, nonprofit sector | Per hour | $18.59 | $28.88 | $53.50 | All experience levels (n=210) | PayScale — Grant Writer Hourly Pay 2026-07-24 |
| Translation | Translation from English | Per word | 12.0¢ | 15.5¢ | 19.0¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
| Translation | Translation to English | Per word | 6.0¢ | 12.0¢ | 18.0¢ | All experience levels | Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2026 Rate Chart 2026-07-24 |
Every range above is a market rate reported by writers or published by the cited source, not a rate this site sets or recommends. See the full source list and capture dates below the table.
Signs you up for the weekly writer's newsletter: one practical tip, a new tool and a fresh contest deadline every Thursday. Unsubscribe anytime.
Everything runs in your browser from data baked into the page. The rate you enter to compare is never sent anywhere.
Most pages on this topic quote a single "average" freelance writing rate, usually from one source. This page cross-references two independent providers instead — the Editorial Freelancers Association's member survey and PayScale's self-reported pay data, 14 distinct citations in total — because a copywriter's market and a technical writer's market do not overlap, and a senior rate is not a beginner rate. Every row below is dated and cited; none of it is estimated. Full source list and capture dates:rateBenchmarks.SOURCES.md.
This page benchmarks the market: what other writers report charging or earning, sourced and dated. Once you have a number in mind for a specific project, convert it between per-word, per-hour and per-project terms, and see it plotted against the Editorial Freelancers Association's chart in full, with thefreelance writing rates calculatorbelow.
Pick a task, enter your rate in whichever unit you quote, and see it converted to per-word, per-hour and whole-project terms against the EFA's published median ranges.
Using 2000 words/hour, the midpoint of the EFA-reported pace of 6-10 pages per hour (250-word pages) for this task.
Your rate of 3.0 cents is above the EFA median range of 2.0 cents to 2.7 cents.
Your rate of $60 is above the EFA median range of $40 to $50.
Filter our living databases of paying publications, literary magazines, writing contests, and EFA benchmarks by minimum per-word rate, flat article payment, or free entry, or open the standalone Writer Pay-Per-Word Explorer.
| Market / source | Per word | Flat fee / prize | Entry fee | Est. at 1,500w | UTC deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MIT Technology ReviewPaying market / job source Rates range from $1 to $2 per word, depending on the experience level of the writer, the story, and the publication route. technologysciencedeeply reported featuresnews | $1.00–$2.00/w | — | Free ($0) | $1,500–$3,000 | Rolling / open |
Mother JonesPaying market / job source For print, rates start at $1.75 per word. For online, rates start at $0.75 a word. newspoliticscultureinvestigative journalism | $0.75–$1.75/w | — | Free ($0) | $1,125–$2,625 | Rolling / open |
WriterAccessPaying market / job source $0.04–$1.00+/word (platform's published per-word pricing) contentseocopywriting | $0.04–$1.00/w | — | Free ($0) | $60–$1,500 | Rolling / open |
OffrangePaying market / job source $0.50-$1/word opinion essays | $0.50–$1.00/w | — | Free ($0) | $750–$1,500 | Rolling / open |
Ghostwriting: Ghostwritten business/marketing contentFreelance rate benchmark $0.50–$1.00/word (median $0.75/word) ghostwriting | $0.75–$1.00/w | — | Free ($0) | $1,125–$1,500 | Rolling / open |
Content Marketing & SEO Writing: Business/marketing content, work-for-hireFreelance rate benchmark $0.32–$0.88/word (median $0.60/word) content marketing & seo writing | $0.60–$0.88/w | — | Free ($0) | $900–$1,313 | Rolling / open |
LongreadsPaying market / job source $500 per personal essay; $350 per reading list; reported features from $0.50/word essaysjournalismfeatures | $0.50/w | $350–$500 | Free ($0) | $750 | Rolling / open |
Earth Island JournalPaying market / job source $0.50/word (print features); $400 (online stories) environmentreported featuresessays | $0.50/w | $400 | Free ($0) | $750 | Rolling / open |
DissentPaying market / job source $0.50 per word (emerging writers) politicsessaysreported features | $0.50/w | — | Free ($0) | $750 | Rolling / open |
The ObjectivePaying market / job source $0.50 a word journalismmediajournalism industryunderrepresented communities | $0.50/w | — | Free ($0) | $750 | Rolling / open |
Blog & Article Writing: Articles/essays, work-for-hireFreelance rate benchmark $0.25–$0.45/word (median $0.35/word) blog & article writing | $0.35–$0.45/w | — | Free ($0) | $525–$675 | Rolling / open |
Ghostwriting: Ghostwritten blog postsFreelance rate benchmark $0.25–$0.40/word (median $0.33/word) ghostwriting | $0.33–$0.40/w | — | Free ($0) | $488–$600 | Rolling / open |
Cricket MediaPaying market / job source up to 25 cents per word; activities $75 flat childrennonfiction | $0.25/w | $75 | Free ($0) | $375 | Rolling / open |
Family Traveller USAPaying market / job source We pay $50 per post. ... We pay .25 cents per word. travelfamily travel | $0.25/w | $50 | Free ($0) | $375 | Rolling / open |
Translation: Translation from EnglishFreelance rate benchmark $0.12–$0.19/word (median $0.15/word) translation | $0.15–$0.19/w | — | Free ($0) | $233–$285 | Rolling / open |
Translation: Translation to EnglishFreelance rate benchmark $0.06–$0.18/word (median $0.12/word) translation | $0.12–$0.18/w | — | Free ($0) | $180–$270 | Rolling / open |
Beneath Ceaseless SkiesLiterary / genre magazine $0.12 per word science fictionfantasy | $0.12/w | — | Free ($0) | $180 | Rolling / open |
Clarkesworld MagazineLiterary / genre magazine $0.10 per word for the first 4,000 words, $0.05 per word thereafter science fictionfantasy | $0.05–$0.10/w | — | Free ($0) | $75–$150 | Rolling / open |
Strange HorizonsLiterary / genre magazine $0.10 per word science fictionfantasy | $0.10/w | — | Free ($0) | $150 | See window |
Canadian Notes & QueriesLiterary / genre magazine $0.10/word (max $200) nonfictionmemoiressays | $0.10/w | — | Not stated | $150 | See window |
Escape PodPaying market / job source $0.08 per word (original fiction) fictionscience fiction | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | Rolling / open |
The DarkLiterary / genre magazine $0.08/word horrordark fantasy | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | See window |
Cast of WondersLiterary / genre magazine $0.08/word young adult speculative short fictionya fiction | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | See window |
PseudopodLiterary / genre magazine $0.08 per word science fictionfantasy | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | Rolling / open |
Solarpunk MagazineLiterary / genre magazine $0.08 per word science fictionfantasy | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | Rolling / open |
Daily Science FictionLiterary / genre magazine $0.08/word fictionnonfictionpoetry | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | Rolling / open |
Apex MagazineLiterary / genre magazine $0.08 per word up to 9,000 words, with a minimum payment of $50 fictionnonfictionpoetry | $0.08/w | — | Free ($0) | $120 | Rolling / open |
Gumshoe ReviewLiterary / genre magazine 5 cents per word up to $50 mysterynoirfictional and non-fictional articles | $0.05/w | — | Free ($0) | $75 | Rolling / open |
swamp pinkLiterary / genre magazine $0.05 a word for prose prose | $0.05/w | — | Not stated | $75 | Rolling / open |
Editing & Proofreading: Developmental editing, fiction manuscriptsFreelance rate benchmark $0.03–$0.04/word (median $0.03/word) editing & proofreading | $0.03–$0.04/w | — | Free ($0) | $49–$53 | Rolling / open |
Editing & Proofreading: Copyediting, fiction manuscriptsFreelance rate benchmark $0.02–$0.03/word (median $0.02/word) editing & proofreading | $0.02–$0.03/w | — | Free ($0) | $35–$41 | Rolling / open |
Budget101Paying market / job source 2 cents per word budgetingpersonal financehousehold tips | $0.02/w | — | Free ($0) | $30 | Rolling / open |
AugurLiterary / genre magazine For previously unpublished fiction/poetry: $25 for flash, $20 for poetry, and $0.02/word for fiction fictionhybrid proseflashshort fiction | $0.02/w | — | Not stated | $30 | Rolling / open |
Editing & Proofreading: Proofreading, fiction manuscriptsFreelance rate benchmark $0.01–$0.02/word (median $0.02/word) editing & proofreading | $0.02–$0.02/w | — | Free ($0) | $24–$30 | Rolling / open |
The Nine Dots PrizeWriting contest US$100,000 + book deal essaynonfiction | — | $100,000 prize | Free ($0) | $100,000 | 2027-01-24 |
Arts Council of Ireland — Literature Bursary AwardGrant / fellowship €7,500 / €10,000 / €15,000 / €20,000 fictionnonfictionpoetrychildren | — | €20,000 prize | Free ($0) | €20,000 | 2027-02-11 |
Amazon Literary Partnership GrantsGrant / fellowship $5,000–$20,000 per organization fictionnonfictionpoetry | — | $20,000 prize | Free ($0) | $20,000 | 2027-05-01 |
Rattle Poetry PrizeWriting contest $15,000 + ten $500 finalists poetry | — | $15,000 prize | $30 | $15,000 | 2026-07-15 |
The Moth Poetry PrizeWriting contest €6,000 first; €11,000 total poetry | — | €11,000 prize | €17 | €11,000 | 2026-12-31 |
The Times / Chicken House Children's Fiction CompetitionWriting contest Publishing contract + £10,000 royalty advance childrennovelfiction | — | £10,000 prize | See website | £10,000 | 2027-06-01 |
Feature your open call or deadline on our Spotlight board
Self-serve: you set the price, from €10, and pay by card through Stripe. Goes live automatically as soon as Stripe confirms payment, clearly labelled Sponsored. Paid slots never alter our editorial database rankings.
There is no single average: rates split by discipline (blog writing, copywriting, technical writing, ghostwriting, editing) and by unit (per word, per hour, per project), and the spread within each is wide. The table above shows the low, median and high reported for each, sourced from the Editorial Freelancers Association and PayScale, so you can compare the discipline closest to your own work instead of one blended number.
Several rows above split by experience band, for example a general copywriter against a senior copywriter, or a general technical writer against a senior one. Senior and specialised bands consistently report a higher median and a wider top end than the general title for the same discipline.
Yes. Editing and proofreading rates in this table run lower per word than most writing and ghostwriting tasks, but editors more often quote per hour, and a full editorial pass can take as long as writing the piece did. Filter by discipline to see editing and writing side by side.
While you wait for that email
Claude Code for Writers, $29
Go past templates and actually build with AI.