Pricing your copywriting is harder than the writing itself. Charge too little and you'll write 10,000 words a week for poverty wages. Charge too much and clients will hire cheaper writers on Upwork or use AI. After interviewing 200+ professional copywriters for this guide, I know exactly what rates work in 2026.
The average freelance copywriter charges $50-85/hour. But that average masks huge differences: beginner copywriters doing blog posts charge $30-50/hour (or $0.10-0.25/word), conversion copywriters writing sales pages command $100-150/hour, and specialized copywriters (SaaS copy, financial services) get $125-200/hour. Your rate depends on experience, niche specialization, conversion results, and whether you charge per word, per project, or hourly.
Most copywriters leave 50-70% of potential income on the table by underpricing or charging per word instead of per project. Here's how to fix that.
Quick Answer: Copywriter Rates by Experience
- Beginner (0-2 years): $30-50/hour or $0.10-0.25/word
- Intermediate (2-5 years): $50-90/hour or $0.25-0.50/word
- Expert (5-10 years): $90-130/hour or $0.50-1.00/word
- Specialist (10+ years): $125-200/hour or project-based only
- Blog post (1,000 words): $150-600
- Landing page: $500-3,000
- Sales page (long-form): $2,000-8,000
- Email sequence (5 emails): $800-3,500
- Website copy (5 pages): $2,500-10,000
Why You Can Trust This Guide
I've spent the past 7 years in the copywriting world. This guide is based on data from interviewing 200+ copywriters (2019-2026), analyzing 500+ job posts, and tracking pricing evolution as AI tools entered the market. I've cross-referenced these rates with the exact rates 15 copywriters charged me when I hired them. Additional baseline data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Content Marketing Institute surveys, and the Editorial Freelancers Association rate charts. Last verified March 2026.
Copywriter Rates by Experience Level
Beginner Copywriter Rates (0-2 Years)
- Hourly rate: $30-50/hour
- Per-word rate: $0.10-0.25/word
- Typical work: Blog posts, product descriptions, basic email copy, social media captions
When you're starting out, you're building your portfolio and learning client management. But even beginners shouldn't work for less than $30/hour or $0.10/word—copywriting requires research, revisions, and strategic thinking beyond just typing words.
What to charge
- Blog post (1k words) $150-300
- Product description $20-40
- Email (300 words) $50-100
- Social media post $15-30
- Website page $100-200
Building your portfolio
Start with small businesses who need consistent blog content. They're less demanding than agencies, pay reliably, and give you diverse topics to write about. Write 10-15 samples across different industries before raising rates.
Intermediate Copywriter Rates (2-5 Years)
- Hourly rate: $50-90/hour
- Per-word rate: $0.25-0.50/word
- Typical work: Landing pages, email sequences, case studies, white papers, website copy
At this level, you understand buyer psychology, can write compelling headlines, and know how to structure copy for conversions. You're not just filling word count—you're driving results.
Why charge per project at this level: A landing page might take you 4 hours to write (research, draft, revisions) but generates $50K in sales for the client. Charging $200 (4 hrs × $50/hr) leaves money on the table. Charge $1,200-2,000 per landing page based on value, not time.
Intermediate copywriters sell outcomes, not words.
Expert Copywriter Rates (5-10 Years)
- Hourly rate: $90-130/hour
- Per-word rate: $0.50-1.00/word (rarely used)
- Typical work: Sales pages, launch campaigns, VSLs (video sales letters), conversion optimization, brand messaging
Expert copywriters command premium rates through proven conversion results. You have case studies showing your copy generated $100K-1M+ in revenue. Clients hire you for outcomes, not output.
Value-Based Example
Rachel charges $5,000 for sales page copy (flat project fee). It takes her 15 hours total (interview, research, drafting, revisions). At $90/hr, she'd charge only $1,350.
Why clients pay it: Her previous sales page generated $340,000 in sales over 90 days. The $5,000 fee returned $68 for every $1 spent. It's an investment.
Expert Project Rates
- Long-form sales page $3k-8k
- Launch email sequence $3.5k-7k
- VSL script $2.5k-6k
- Complete website rewrite $5k-15k
Specialist Copywriter Rates (10+ Years)
- Hourly rate: $125-200/hour
- Project rates: $8,000-50,000+
- Typical work: Product launches, high-stakes sales funnels, enterprise messaging
Specialists command premium rates through deep niche expertise like SaaS copywriting, financial services, health/wellness, B2B tech, or direct response for info products. They often add performance bonuses: Base fee + 1-3% of revenue generated by the copy.
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Copywriter Rates by Project Type
| Project Type | Beginner | Intermediate | Expert | Time to Write |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog post (1k words) | $150-300 | $400-750 | $800-1,500 | 3-6 hrs |
| Landing page | $300-600 | $600-1,500 | $1,500-4,000 | 5-10 hrs |
| Sales page (long-form) | $800-1,500 | $2,000-5,000 | $5,000-15k | 12-25 hrs |
| Email sequence (5) | $300-600 | $800-2,000 | $2,500-5,000 | 6-12 hrs |
| Website (5 pages) | $1,000-2k | $2,500-6k | $6,000-15k | 15-30 hrs |
| White paper | $400-800 | $1,200-2,500 | $2,500-6,000 | 8-15 hrs |
Per-Word vs Per-Project vs Hourly Pricing
Per-Word Pricing
Best when: You're a beginner, writing blog content at scale, or the content length is the primary deliverable.
Standard rates: Beginner ($0.10-0.25/word), Intermediate ($0.25-0.50/word), Expert ($0.50-1.00/word).
The Drawback: It penalizes efficiency. The faster you write, the less you earn. A 500-word landing page that converts at 5% is infinitely more valuable than a 2,000-word blog post that gets 10 views, but per-word pricing values the blog post 4X more.
Per-Project Pricing (Recommended)
Best when: Writing conversion copy (landing pages, sales pages) where results matter more than word count.
How to price projects:
- Estimate hours (research + writing + revisions)
- Multiply by your hourly rate
- Add 30-50% for value/risk
- Round to a clean number
Example: Landing page = 8 hours × $75/hr = $600 + 40% value premium = $840 → charge $1,000.
The Benefit: You can work faster and earn more. The client pays for the outcome, not the time it took you to type it.
Hourly Pricing
Best when: Scope is unclear, ongoing retainer relationships, or consulting/strategy work where output is hard to define.
The Drawback: It feels transactional. Clients watch the clock. It limits your income to your available hours.
Copywriting Retainers
Retainers are best for long-term relationships (6+ months) with predictable monthly workloads. They provide stable income while giving the client guaranteed availability.
Starter
$2,000/mo
- 4 blog posts (1k words)
- 2 email newsletters
- 1 social media set
Growth
$4,500/mo
- 6 blog posts
- 1 landing page
- 4 email newsletters
- Monthly strategy call
Premium
$8,000/mo
- 8 blog posts
- 2 landing pages
- 1 sales page
- Weekly strategy calls
How to Calculate Your Copywriter Rate
Determine Your Income Goal
- Entry-level: $35,000-50,000
- Mid-career: $60,000-90,000
- Experienced: $90,000-130,000
- Specialist: $150,000-300,000+
Calculate Business Expenses
Add up software ($250/yr), research tools ($200-600/yr), equipment ($1,500 one-time), internet, courses, and insurance. Total: $2,000-5,000/year. Don't forget taxes (~30%).
Calculate Billable Hours
Most copywriters bill 20-30 hours/week, not 40. After research, revisions, admin, and calls: 25 hrs/week × 48 weeks = 1,200 hours/year.
Calculate Minimum Rate
Example: $70K desired + $3K expenses + $21.9K taxes = $95.5K needed. $95,550 ÷ 1,200 hours = $79.62/hour. Add 25% buffer = $100/hour target.
Geographic Rate Differences
| Location | Entry-Level | Mid-Level | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF / LA / NYC | $45-65/hr | $75-110/hr | $120-180/hr |
| Seattle / Austin / Denver | $40-55/hr | $65-95/hr | $100-150/hr |
| Midwest / South | $30-45/hr | $50-80/hr | $80-120/hr |
| Remote | Charge based on the client's average customer value, not your zip code. | ||
Common Copywriting Pricing Mistakes
Charging Per Word
The trap: A 500-word landing page takes 8 hours. At $0.50/word, you earn $250 ($31/hr).
The fix: Charge $1,200+ based on value, not word count.
Undervaluing Research
The trap: Clients think a 1k-word post takes 1 hour.
The fix: Don't apologize for research time. Researched copy converts. Generic copy doesn't. Build research hours into your base project rate.
Working Without Contracts
Specify deliverables, timeline, revision limits (e.g., 2 rounds), usage rights, and a 30% kill fee if the project is cancelled mid-way. Use our contract template.
Not Requiring Deposits
Copywriting takes weeks. Always require a 50% deposit before starting. No deposit = no work. This protects you from scope creep and ghosting clients.
Finding Copywriting Clients Who Pay Well
Best Sources for Premium Clients
- Direct Outreach: Email growing startups (just raised funding) with teardowns of their current weak website copy.
- Freelance Platforms: Contra (0% fees, keep 100% of earnings). Filter Upwork for $50+/hr jobs only.
- Content Marketing: Publish case studies showing before/after metrics on your site, LinkedIn, or guest posts.
- Referrals: Ask happy clients for intros. Offer 10% finder's fee to other freelancers (like web designers).
Real-Life Copywriting Pricing Examples
Jennifer, B2B Blog Writer
Pricing Model
$400 per 1,500-word post
Monthly Income
$6,400 (16 posts/mo)
Why it works
She bundles posts into 4-post retainers ($1,600/mo) for 4 tech startups, ensuring completely stable income.
Marcus, SaaS Landing Pages
Pricing Model
$4,500 per landing page
Monthly Income
$13,500 (3 projects/mo)
Why it works
He charges high rates because his copy has a proven track record of converting 15-20% higher than internal teams.
Sarah, Email Funnels
Pricing Model
$10k setup + 2% rev share
Monthly Income
$25,000+ (mostly royalties)
Why it works
She writes aggressively converting welcome sequences for e-commerce brands doing $5M+/year.
Next Step: Build Your Portfolio
Clients pay for proof. While you're building your copywriting business, you'll need contracts, proposal templates, and examples of great copy.
Copywriter Rates FAQ
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