What should a freelance writer charge? Calculate your exact hourly or per-word rate with real market benchmarks.
Billable hours ratio60%
736 hrs/yr on admin, proposals & marketing
Annual business expenses$5,000
Software, equipment, insurance, coworking
Estimated tax rate28%
Income tax + self-employment contributions
Weeks worked per year46 weeks
6 weeks for holiday, sick leave & gaps
Your minimum rate
$105/hr
Recommended (+ 20% buffer)
$126/hr
Billable hrs/yr
1,104
Required gross
$116K
Annual at rec. rate
$139K
How we calculated your rate
Target net income$80,000
+ Tax (28%)+$31,111
+ Business expenses+$5,000
= Required gross income$116,111
÷ 1,104 billable hours/yr$105/hr
✍️ Copywriter / Writer market rates
Entry level
$20/hr
Mid-level
$50/hr
Senior
$85/hr
Expert
$130/hr
Orange line = your minimum rate. Data from Upwork, Clockify & Payscale.
Market insight
Your minimum rate is 110% above the typical market rate for your level. Consider increasing your billable hours ratio or adjusting your income goal first.