How To Determine Your Pricing and Rates as a Freelancer
It feels like there’s no formula, but actually, there are many
When it comes to pricing, it can be hard to pick the “right” price because freelancer pricing is often a scale, not a definitive chart or amount.
In this article, I break down two ways to figure out your per-word rates and two ways to determine hourly rates. This article only dives into writing, as the way I determine my editing rates is different and has other considerations (word count, genre, time, type of editing needed, etc.). However, you can use the hourly breakdown for help with pricing for any freelance or consulting opportunity, regardless of what service you’re providing.
Below is a general pricing chart with averages, and then I have broken down a couple of ways for you to determine your per-word and hourly pricing as a freelance writer.
General Pricing Averages
A general guideline:
- 5–7.5 cents per word is below average, and more beginner rates
- 8–11 cents per word is a general average
- 12–15 cents per word is slightly above average for writers with more experience
- 15+ cents per word is an experienced writer (plenty of…
