Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
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Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
Copywriting Rates in 2026 — How Much Do Copywriters Charge?
Know your number before the next client conversation. BLS-calibrated rates for every copywriting engagement.
Freelance copywriters in the US charge between $50 and $150 per hour. Website copy projects range from $1,500 to $10,000 depending on page count and complexity. Email sequences cost $2,000 to $5,000. Per-word rates range from $0.10 to $1.00 depending on industry, research depth, and deliverable type. The BLS median salary for writers is $73,690 per year, translating to $65–$140 per hour as a freelancer after overhead.
Floor
$50
per hour
Typical
$85
per hour
Premium
$150
per hour
Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
Was this helpful?
Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
How much does copywriting cost by deliverable?
Copywriting costs vary significantly by deliverable type. Website copy for a 5–10 page site costs $1,500–$10,000. A 5-email welcome sequence costs $2,000–$5,000. A single landing page costs $500–$3,000. Blog posts range from $150–$800 per post. Ad copy (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn) costs $300–$2,000 per campaign.
| Deliverable | Price Range | Typical Turnaround | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website copy (5–10 pages) | $1,500–$10,000 | 2–4 weeks | Per project |
| Email sequence (5 emails) | $2,000–$5,000 | 1–2 weeks | Per project |
| Landing page | $500–$3,000 | 3–7 days | Per page |
| Blog post (1,000–2,000 words) | $150–$800 | 2–5 days | Per post |
| Ad copy (campaign) | $300–$2,000 | 3–7 days | Per campaign |
| Sales page | $1,500–$5,000 | 1–2 weeks | Per project |
| Product descriptions (10 items) | $500–$1,500 | 3–5 days | Per batch |
Website copywriting pricing in 2026
Website copywriting costs $1,500–$10,000 for a complete site, depending on page count, research depth, and industry complexity. A simple 5-page brochure site costs $1,500–$3,000. A 15-page corporate site with SEO requirements costs $5,000–$8,000. An e-commerce site with 50+ product descriptions costs $8,000–$15,000. The pricing model for website copy is almost always per-project, not per-word. Per-word pricing penalizes concise writing — a 50-word headline that converts at 8% is worth more than a 500-word page that converts at 1%. Factors that increase website copywriting costs: SEO keyword targeting and research, brand voice development, multiple revision rounds, stakeholder review processes, regulated industries (finance, healthcare) requiring compliance review.
How we calculated this
The rates on this page are derived from BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data for the closest matching occupation code, adjusted for freelance overhead using a transparent four-step formula.
- 01
Floor calculation
Your target income × 1.153 (SE tax) + annual software and tool costs, divided by billable hours. This is the minimum rate that covers your costs.
- 02
Market benchmarking
The base rate is positioned against BLS percentile data for your metro. You see exactly where you land — p10 through p90.
- 03
Skill and complexity adjustments
Multipliers of 0.85×–1.65× reflect your skill level and the complexity of the work. High-stakes, strategic work earns more.
- 04
Regional cost adjustment
BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) adjust the final rate for local cost of living. San Francisco commands more; Austin less.
What changes the price
- Copy type (website, email, ads, long-form, UX)
- Research depth required
- Industry expertise (SaaS, finance, health)
- SEO requirements
- Revision rounds
- Brand voice development
- Turnaround speed
Real quote breakdowns
Website Copy Project
Full website copy for a B2B SaaS company: homepage, product page, about, pricing, 2 landing pages. Includes discovery call, brand voice guide, and 2 revision rounds.
Breakdown
Discovery + strategy (5 hrs), writing (35 hrs), revisions (8 hrs) × $104/hr effective rate.
Email Welcome Sequence
6-email onboarding sequence for a software product. Includes subject line variants, segmentation logic notes, and copy rationale document.
Breakdown
28 hrs × $89/hr. One revision round. Client provides brand voice and product positioning.
PPC Landing Page
Single conversion-focused landing page for a Google Ads campaign. Headline testing variants included. High-stakes, tight 72-hour deadline.
Breakdown
12 hrs × $125/hr. Rush premium applied. Includes 3 headline variants for A/B testing.
Frequently asked questions
Should copywriters charge per word or per project?
Per-project pricing is almost always better. Per-word rates incentivize padding and punish concise, high-impact writing. Project pricing aligns your incentive with quality. Reserve per-word pricing for content mills, SEO articles at scale, or clients where per-project estimation is genuinely impossible.
Why does SaaS copywriting command a premium?
SaaS copy requires understanding complex products, technical audiences, and conversion psychology simultaneously. The buyer is often technical and skeptical. Copywriters who can translate product features into business outcomes for SaaS companies command a 30-50% premium over generalist writers.
How many revision rounds should I include in a copywriting project?
Two rounds is industry standard. The first revision addresses structural feedback — messaging, hierarchy, tone. The second cleans up line-level refinements. Additional revisions beyond this scope should be billed hourly. Be explicit in your proposal about what triggers a new project versus a revision.
Is AI replacing copywriters in 2026?
AI replaces commodity copy — generic blog posts, boilerplate product descriptions, templated emails. It does not replace strategic copywriters who can develop brand voice, execute conversion strategy, and produce copy that sounds like a specific brand. The market for high-skill copywriters has not contracted.
Is a copywriting retainer worth it?
Retainers make sense when a client needs consistent content output: weekly emails, monthly landing pages, ongoing ad creative. Price retainers with a 10-15% discount from your project rate in exchange for guaranteed monthly income. Require a 30-day cancellation notice and define deliverables clearly.
How much do copywriters charge per hour?
Freelance copywriters charge $50–$150 per hour. Entry-level copywriters charge $30–$50. Mid-level writers with 3–5 years experience charge $75–$120. Senior copywriters and strategists charge $120–$200. SaaS and finance specialists command the highest rates.
How much does website copywriting cost?
Website copywriting costs $1,500–$10,000 per project. A 5-page brochure site costs $1,500–$3,000. A 15-page corporate site costs $5,000–$8,000. Price depends on page count, SEO requirements, and revision rounds.
How much should I charge for an email sequence?
A 5-email welcome or sales sequence costs $2,000–$5,000. Price per sequence, not per email. Each email requires research, strategy, and conversion optimization — not just writing.
Related professions
The short version
- →Floor rate: $50/hr. Typical: $85/hr. Premium: $150/hr.
- →Freelance copywriters in the US charge between $50 and $150 per hour.
- →The biggest rate drivers: Copy type (website, email, ads, long-form, UX), Research depth required, Industry expertise (SaaS, finance, health).
- →Rates are based on BLS OEWS May 2024 data, adjusted for freelance overhead, skill level, complexity, and regional cost of living.