This guide explains how freelancers charge for different jobs, so you can post a job with a rough idea of what you’ll need to budget for.
I’m often on the phone or email with job-posters – and without fail, they’ll ask me ‘What should I pay for this job / gig / project?’ Surprising? Not at all.
Pricing is a minefield – I reckon everyone’s scared of either a) overpaying or b) insulting a writer they’d love to work with by offering a budget that’s too low.
Bottom line: there’s no single ‘right’ price for your job, gig or project, but there are sensible, suggested rates that are a great starting point.
And remember, freelance writing rates vary based on experience, type of work, strategic complexity, and turnaround time – not just word count.
The short answer (if you’re in a hurry)
Typically, a creative freelancer will charge:
- Hourly rates: $70–$250+ per hour
- Per-word rates: $0.70–$1.20+ per word
- Project rates: $2,500–$10,000+ for website projects.
You should always expect to pay more for strategy-heavy work (web, email funnels, white papers) than straightforward editorial pieces.
And if you’re unsure about your budget, a good freelancer will help you scope the work realistically – not make you feel awkward for asking.
What actually determines how much a freelance writer charges?
Great question, because when you hire an experienced freelance writer you’re not paying for words. You’re paying for thinking, judgement, and outcomes.
Here are a few things to consider when faced with a quote:
Experience and specialisation
Freelancers who have decades of experience in a particular industry or niche, and / or specialist knowledge, will always charge top dollar. And they’re worth it.
Type of writing
It’s always good to consider the complexity of the work you’re hiring for. Hiring freelancers for a series of short blog posts will probably cost you less than hiring an experienced SEO copywriter for a web copy project.
Research depth and strategy required
Say your eDMs aren’t converting and people are unsubscribing in droves. Hiring an email marketing expert who understands funnels, sequences and consumer behaviour and can get things back on track – that kind of research and strategy attracts a premium. Similarly, a white paper writer who can deal confidently with stakeholders, be able to humanise reams of complex research and pull together an asset that’s worth a great deal to your company also attracts a much higher fee.
Turnaround time
Good work doesn’t happen overnight, so you will need to negotiate timelines with the freelancer you hire. However, if you need something fast, a 10–25% rush fee is common for experienced freelancers.
Common freelance writing rate models (explained simply)
Here are some examples of how freelance writers charge, and when.
Hourly rates (and when they make sense)
If you have an ongoing project without a clear scope and you want a copywriter who will charge as they go, an hourly rate may make sense (especially if it’s too hard to provide a firm estimate on the work).
Hourly rates are also standard if you’re hiring editorial staff to come into the office for the day, or content writers to work in-house at an agency. These are also offered as day rates ($450-800/day depending on seniority).
If you’re a small business with occasional ad hoc tasks – such as, ‘Write a LinkedIn post for me’ or ‘Can you do a social post on International Women’s Day?’ – then hiring a freelancer with an ‘hours bank’ arrangement may also make sense. This is where a freelancer charges you a pre-paid amount – say $1000 for ten hours. Then, they’ll track their time every time you give them a task, and let you know when the hours bank is low, so you can top it up.
Per word rates (common for magazine work)
If you’re commissioning print / editorial features, freelancers generally expect to be paid by the word (80c to $1/word is standard).
If you’re hiring a freelancer to project manage an entire magazine, the norm would be a project fee, not word rates. The freelancer will quote on this kind of project based on how much writing is involved, how many articles they’ll be briefing and editing, the project management time and all the other ins and outs of getting that magazine from idea to printed hard copy.
Flat fee writing rates (common with content marketing)
Generally, freelancers charge a flat fee per piece of content marketing – with metadata and keyword optimisation often bundled into the overall fee. It varies but $400-600 seems to be fairly standard for 500-800 words, research based. For a complex article of, say, 1500 words with interviews, research, tables etc, you could be looking at $1500-2000 per piece.
Per project pricing (most common for experienced writers)
If you’re hiring a copywriter for a short gig like a website copy project or email nurture sequence, expect to be quoted a flat project fee. Most freelancers (copywriters, content writers etc) will have an internal hourly rate they use to calculate a quote (which might be anything from $80/hour to $200+/hour depending on experience).
Retainer arrangements (best for ongoing work)
A retainer arrangement is a good option if you’re working with a freelancer on similar tasks or a fixed amount of work every month. It locks you into the freelancer’s schedule and ensures your work is prioritised. Usually, a freelancer will expect the monthly retainer fee to be paid on a specific date, such as the first of the month.
Value-based pricing
Value-based pricing refers to charging a percentage of the overall value of the work instead of a project fee. For example, if the freelancer wrote a highly complex white paper for a client that converted hundreds or thousands of new subscribers to the client’s database, or designed a company logo that created a powerful brand for a business, those would arguably carry far more value than the amount of hours it took to create those assets.
This is exactly why many editors and business owners choose to post jobs where experienced freelancers already understand fair pricing.
You can see more real-world examples in our pay rates report.
Typical freelance writing rates in Australia (realistic ranges)
Based on Rachel’s List surveys of Australian freelance writers and current market rates, here’s a range of typical freelance writing rates based on the type of work.
| Type of work | Typical freelance writing rates (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Blog posts / articles | $450–$600 for up to 800 words $1,000–$2,000 for long-form pieces with interviews, research, or specialist subject matter |
| Website copy | Often quoted as a package $500–$600 per standard page Landing pages are more strategic and typically priced in the thousands |
| Email marketing | $200–$600 for a single EDM (depending on scope) $500–$2,000 for an email sequence (e.g. 8 emails) |
| Long-form content (white papers, reports) | $2,000–$6,000+ |
| Editing / rewriting | $80–$120 per hour for experienced editors $50–$60 per hour for magazine sub-editors $70–$100 per hour for specialised or corporate sub-editing |
Why ‘cheap’ writing often costs you more
I completely understand budgets being tight – I feel like I spend a lot of time negotiating with my clients and job-posters at Rachel’s List about budgets!
But it is worth remembering that a cut-price quote can be a false economy – simply because:
- You may have to send the copy or content back for more rewrites, or do a lot more handholding
- Deadlines might not be met, especially if the freelancer isn’t experienced
- The content or copy they produce might not convert – or it might be a fail in helping you show up in Google or AI searches
- Cheap content or copy can seriously damage your brand credibility.
In short: cheap writing often costs you more – in time, stress, brand damage, and missed results.
How to tell if a freelancer’s quote is reasonable
What are you looking for in a freelancer’s quote? Here are my green flags:
- Pricing attached to a clear scope – they’ve listened to what you need and the outcomes you’re looking for and costed it
- Confident pricing explanation – if you had any questions as to why they’ve itemised this or that, or whether you can cut something, they ‘d have no trouble explaining in detail
- Their summary clarifies questions about your goals and audience and explains exactly what you’re trying to achieve
On the flip side, I’d be hesitating if a freelancer’s quote was vague and implied they could ‘do anything’ for you. Or, if they offered extremely low prices with no questions, and also – provided no summary in regards to outcomes.
What now?
My advice – perhaps not surprisingly – is to hire where professional writers already understand fair pricing, clear briefs, and business outcomes (and Rachel’s List is one place they hang out).
You’ll get vetted, highly experienced freelancers who’ve worked on hundreds or thousands of projects and know exactly how to cost yours.
They’ll have smart business questions at the ready and know how to work collaboratively with you to get a desired outcome.
They’ll also think strategically, challenge the brief, suggest better ways to do things that you may not have thought of, and behave more like knowledgeable consultants than content order-takers. Chances are, they’ll have cutting-edge AI and GPT skills and understand metrics.
Perhaps most importantly, good freelancers will also have proof of exactly HOW they’ve helped clients before you.
And when you have all that in front of you, you’ll understand that what a freelancer charges is worth it, and then some.
Quick FAQ
Do freelance writers charge GST in Australia?
Yes — if their GST turnover is $75,000 or more (or expected to be), they generally need to register and charge GST. Services provided to overseas clients are usually GST-exempt.
Should I pay per word or per project?
If you’re hiring for a content writing or copywriting project, a project fee is standard. Per word rates are more suitable for magazine articles.
Why do experienced writers avoid per-word pricing?
Charging by the word often doesn’t reflect the strategy, thought and effort that’s gone into a producing a piece of good work – especially if the job is a tagline, or advertisement that might just have a handful of words. For this reason, experienced copywriters, especially, prefer project-based pricing.
Is it okay to negotiate freelance rates?
A good freelancer will always try to work within your budget but it’s worth remembering that their rate takes into account their experience, skills, industry knowledge and expenses. They’ll have costed your project carefully and reducing the price may no longer make the project financially viable for them. For this reason, an experienced freelancer is more likely to discuss reducing the scope rather than their fee, in order to stay within your budget.
Want access to experienced freelance writers who understand budgets, briefs, and outcomes? Post a job or gig for FREE on our jobs board, and we’ll send good-fit applicants straight to your inbox. We also recommend downloading our pay rates report, and checking out MEAA’s Rate Tracker.
