Smart calculators for independent professionals
Find the right hourly rate for freelance copywriting based on your income targets and working style.
Free calculator
Great copy drives revenue, but many copywriters undersell themselves. Whether you write landing pages, email sequences, or blog content, this calculator helps you price your work so it's sustainable. It's prefilled for a mid-career copywriter — adjust to fit your niche and experience level.
No signup required
Get immediate results with prefilled settings for this scenario. Adjust any value to match your exact situation.
Copywriting rates should track commercial value, not word count alone. Blog content may support rates in the $50-$90 range, but conversion-focused work like sales pages, launch emails, and onboarding sequences often justifies $100-$200 per hour because one strong asset can pay for itself quickly. If the copy influences signups, demos, or purchases, charging like a commodity writer is a mistake.
Research is part of the deliverable, not free prep. Interviews, customer-voice mining, competitor teardowns, and offer analysis can consume 30-50% of the project timeline before you write a single headline, so your quote has to cover that strategic work. Good copywriters also limit revision cycles and define what counts as a revision versus a new direction, otherwise stakeholder churn destroys margin.
The easiest path to higher rates is picking a niche where outcomes are measurable. B2B SaaS, health, fintech, legal, and ecommerce email retainers tend to price better than general small-business content because the buyer can connect your work to pipeline or revenue. Build a small portfolio of results with metrics like lift, conversion rate, or revenue per send and your rate ceiling rises fast.
Freelance copywriters in the US typically charge $50–$150/hour. Content writers and blog writers tend to be on the lower end ($40–$80), while direct-response copywriters, UX writers, and sales page specialists charge $100–$250+.
Per-word pricing ($0.10–$1.00/word) is common for content writing but undervalues strategic work. For higher-value copy (sales pages, email funnels), per-project pricing based on your hourly rate is more profitable. Know your hourly rate first, then estimate projects from there.
Typical expenses include grammar/editing tools (Grammarly, Hemingway), SEO tools (Ahrefs, Surfer), project management software, AI writing assistants, and professional development courses. Budget $2,000–$5,000/year.
Explore similar scenarios with prefilled calculator settings.
Figure out what to charge as a freelance graphic designer based on your income goals and real-world expenses.
Find the right rate for freelance social media management based on your target income and workload.
Determine sustainable consulting rates based on your experience level and financial goals.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes only. Your actual tax obligations and expenses depend on your jurisdiction, deductions, and individual circumstances. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.