Your numbers
Your rate
About copywriter rates
Copywriters sell results, not hours, but you still need an hourly floor to price landing pages, emails and campaigns fairly, including research, drafts and client revisions.
Consider charging a premium for conversion-focused work and rush deadlines on top of your base hourly rate.
Expenses to include
- Writing, grammar and project tools
- Research subscriptions and swipe-file resources
- A computer and comfortable workspace
- Portfolio website and marketing costs
- Courses and books to keep your craft sharp
Add these up for a full year and enter the total in "Yearly expenses".
How the rate is calculated
- Revenue needed = take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate) + expenses
- Billable hours per year = hours per week × (52 − weeks off)
- Hourly rate = revenue needed ÷ billable hours per year
This is a planning estimate, not tax advice. Tax rules differ by country, so check with a local accountant for exact figures.
Frequently asked questions
How should a copywriter set an hourly rate?
Add tools, research and marketing costs to the income you want to keep, then divide by the hours you can bill. Research, drafts and revisions take longer than the writing itself, so count them all.
Should a copywriter charge hourly or per project?
Project pricing is common for copy, such as per page, email or campaign. Work out the hours per deliverable using your calculated rate, then add a fee for revisions and rush work.
How many hours per week can a copywriter realistically bill?
Research, drafts and revisions take time, so 20 to 25 billable hours a week is a reasonable planning range. Start with 22 and adjust as you track your work.