How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?

So, you want to be a freelance writer. Great. Now imagine there’s an offer from a prospective client sitting in your inbox.

Riddle me this: how much should you charge the client?

You don’t want to drive them away. You don’t want to undercharge either. There’s a fine balance to be struck. You do a quick online search and you end up more confused than when you started.

Freelance writers can earn anywhere from $25 per hour to over $200 per hour, depending on experience, domain expertise, industry, sales skills, and a dozen other less important variables. It’s a mess and many new writers find their rates through trial-and-error. In this article, I’ll try to untangle the problem for you so you can start earning reliable income from freelance writing quicker.

With that goal in mind, I will give you a rundown of current industry rates across five variables:

Experience level.
Project type.
Industry.
Client type.
Personal factors.

Then we will discuss a reasonable plan for increasing your rates over time.

Freelance writing rates by experience level

Entry-level freelance writers typically charge between $0.05 to $0.15 per word or $15 to $40 per hour. At this stage, you are often tasked with simpler projects like basic blog posts or content for clients with tight budgets.

Moving up the ladder, mid-level writers command $0.15 to $0.50 per word or $40 to $80 per hour. Their projects often include well-crafted blog posts, social media content, and SEO articles that require a higher level of expertise.

For businesses seeking top-tier quality or specialized content, experienced freelance writers charge $0.50 to $1.00 or more per word and $80 to $200 or more per hour. At this stage, you will handle complex projects that require research, editing, and a multi-step publishing process. Examples are in-depth whitepapers, creative brand campaigns, or investigative journalism. These rates may sound insane to you right now, but the value a seasoned writer provides often justifies the investment, especially for businesses that need precision and impactful messaging.

Freelance writing rates by project type

The format in which you write matters. A lot. The top-tier rates for one type of writing might be bottom-of-the-barrel rates for another type.

Blog posts, for instance, typically range from $100 to $500 per article, with factors like length, depth of research, and niche expertise influencing the final price. Website copy, on the other hand, is often billed per page, with rates ranging from $500 to $2,000 per project, or $200 to $400 per page. This type of work requires a deep understanding of branding and audience engagement. Study marketing ASAP.

For more specialized content, such as B2B materials like whitepapers and case studies, rates often fall between $2,000 and $5,000 or more per project. These pieces are highly value-driven and require extensive expertise and research, justifying the higher costs.

SEO content, possibly the most common type, ranges from $0.10 to $1.00 per word, with potential upsells for keyword research and optimization. Freelance writing rates by industry

Some industries have higher profit margins than others. Some have higher net worth customers than others. Startups in some industries secure funding more easily. All this trickles down to your earnings as a freelance writer.

Writing in a high-value niche such as stock market investing or healthcare can pay as much as three times more than a low-value niche.

Should you write for a fintech startup or for a marketplace for board game enthusiasts? Choose wisely. Unless you’re a board game enthusiast yourself, in which case, have your fun!

Freelance writing rates by client type

Funded startups are notoriously lax with spending. Lavish office spaces, company trips to the Bahamas, generous payments for all workers (freelancers included), you name it.

In my first ever freelance writing job, I was lucky enough to stumble onto a freshly funded startup from Scandinavia. I earned about $3,000 for a couple of blog posts that barely required any research. They were introductory posts for their blog - general stuff about what their company does and where the founders come from.

That was luck, but you can make your own luck to an extent by following startup communities on social media and pitching the founders when the time is right.

On the other end of the spectrum, low-margin brick-and-mortar businesses tend to pay low. The same goes for non-profits and activists of all kinds, although if you believe in their cause you may be inclined to help regardless of the pay. This is fine, of course. We can’t always optimize for profits.

Freelance writing rates by personal factors

There are a couple of additional variables to consider. They can all be summed up in one word: you.

Do you have a portfolio of writing to send to new prospects?

Do you have a reputation in your industry?

Do you have testimonials from previous clients?

Do you have the work ethic to impress prospects in the first meeting?

Do you come prepared to a new industry?

Do you work on perfecting your English?

Do you come from a reputable location?

I know you can’t do much about that last one. The Elephant in the Room: Where You’re From MattersWhere you’re from matters. People make a lot of generalizations about certain parts of the world and certain cultures. But that’s a part of you and you should embrace it.

As for all the other things on the list, well…get to work.

How to increase your earnings as a freelance writer

What does all this mean for you? Let’s sum everything up into actionable advice.

Freelance writers looking to boost their earnings should prioritize projects in a lucrative niche, such as SaaS, healthcare, or fintech. These fields often demand expert knowledge, allowing writers to charge higher rates for their specialized skills.

Building a strong portfolio is equally important. If you can showcase work that demonstrates tangible results (like increased website traffic or improved conversion rates) all the better.

Effective negotiation techniques help. Use industry benchmarks to justify your rates and confidently communicate the value you bring to the table.

Practicing additional skills such as SEO, UX writing, or marketing can make you more valuable to clients and open doors to higher-paying opportunities.

Target high-budget clients like US-based agencies, large corporations, and tech startups, which often have the resources to pay premium rates.

Leverage all these strategies and you can position yourself for higher earnings and long-term success.