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.
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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.
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.