As a freelance writer, I’ve had to do a ton of research about copywriting rates. And let me tell you — there’s a lot to uncover.

So whether you want to try your hand at freelancing, or you’re looking for an in-house position, this guide will cover everything you need to know about getting paid as a copywriter.

We’ll take a look at hourly, monthly, and even weekly rates.

Ready to talk money?

Let’s get started.

What is a Copywriter?

A copywriter crafts persuasive, engaging content that leads a reader to action (Usually to buy a product or sign up for an email list).

When was the last time you bought something online? That sales page you read before you pushed the “buy” button? That’s copywriting.

The product descriptions you read on an ecommerce site? That’s copywriting.

The speech you heard a presidential candidate give at a rally? You guessed it…copywriting.

Copywriters work for marketing agencies, businesses, entrepreneurs and even non-profit or government organizations.

They can be hired on a contractual basis (freelance) or work full or part-time for a company.

Types of copywriting include:

• Sales and marketing copy
• Product descriptions
• White papers
• Case studies
• Web copy
• Blogging
• Email marketing
• Technical writing
• And more…

So as you can see, copywriting comes in a lot of different forms, and copywriters work for a lot of different businesses. So how much they earn depends on a variety of factors.

Now that you know what a copywriter does, let’s dig a bit deeper into the money side of it.

Related reading: 10 Types of Copywriting to Make Money in 2024 (& Beyond)

How Much Do Copywriters Make?

According to Payscale, the average copywriter salary in the United states is around $59,165 annually.

But copywriter salaries range from around $30,000-$140,000+ annually, depending on your level of experience, expertise and geographic location.

If we break that down to hourly wages, you’re looking at $16 – $50+ per hour.

If you’re getting paid weekly as a full-time copywriter working a 40-hour workweek, you might pocket anywhere between $600 to $2,000.

Scale it up monthly, and we’re talking about around $2,500 to $8,000+.

By now you might be thinking, gee — these numbers have such a wide range, they don’t tell me much of anything!

And you’re right. While this salary data is a good starting point for wrapping your head around copywriting salaries, it’s far from a definitive answer.

It’s much more helpful to look at the factors that determine how much you might get paid as a copywriter:

1. Experience and track record: A senior copywriter with 20+ years of experience and impressive sales numbers backing up their copy is going to be at the top of the salary range mentioned above. By contrast, a junior copywriter (entry-level) is more likely be toward the lower end. And if you’re intermediate? You’ll land somewhere in the middle.
2. Geographic location: A copywriter living in New York City or San Francisco is likely to get paid a higher salary than a copywriter in small-town Missouri, simply because of the cost of living in those areas.
3. Niche expertise: If you’re a generalized copywriter, you might make less money than a copywriter with specialized industry knowledge — as the latter is more in demand. For example, a copywriter could be an expert in the health or business sectors.

Now that you understand the logic behind the wide number range, are copywriter salaries starting to come into focus?

Good! Let’s move on…

What About Freelance Copywriters?

Interested in freelance writing? I don’t blame you!

Freelance copywriters are untethered from the traditional 9-5 grind, and many of them wouldn’t have it any other way.

But doing contract work has both perks and drawbacks when it comes to money.

The perks?

Getting to set your own rates, with the average hourly rate being around $29, and $50-$100+ an hour on the high end.

If we convert those numbers to yearly income, the average freelance copywriter salary ranges from $60,000-$100,000+ (Not much different than the average base salary for a full-time copywriter).

You can also charge by the project, or charge a monthly “retainer” fee.

The financial drawbacks to freelance copywriting?

You have to pay more taxes. You’ll have to pay a self-employment tax, which is around 15% in the US. If you were working a full-time gig, these taxes would be automatically deducted from your paycheck, and your employer also pays a portion of it.

Luckily, you can deduct a LOT of stuff to reduce your tax liability at the end of the year. If you use any tools for your writing (think AI, SEO tools, computers, etc) you can deduct those, and you may also be able to deduct part of your rent/mortgage (if you have a home office), your internet bill and even your cell phone bill if you use it to talk with clients.

So how much should you charge as a freelancer? Well, just like full-time salaries, you need to take a few things into account:

1. Your cost of living: You want to make sure you’re charging enough to make a living wherever you’re at.
2. Your experience level: If you have more experience to back you up, clients are more willing to pay you more.
3. Taxes: It’s wise to tack on an extra 20-30% to your fees to allow for taxes as a freelancer.
4. Your time/capacity: When you’re freelancing, time is money. So if you have a client that is paying you a low hourly rate, yet you’re spending 30+ hours a week on their work, that’s not sustainable. If a client is taking up the majority of your work capacity, they should be able to pay a competitive rate.

At this point, if you’re feeling a little discouraged about your salary potential as a copywriter, worry not — next, we’ll discuss how to increase your salary potential.

Related reading: Freelance Writing Rates: Know Your Worth in 2024

How Can You Increase Your Copywriter Salary?

You might have to start out in a lower pay range as a professional copywriter, but you certainly don’t have to stay there! Here are 6 ways to ensure you’re making top dollar for your work.

1. Specialize

Become an expert in a popular writing niche, and you’ll make more money as a copywriter.

Why? It’s simple: the more specific your expertise, the higher the demand and lower the competition.

Think about it: If you owned a holistic health practice, would you hire a “generalized” copywriter, or a marketing copywriter with 10 years of experience writing in the health niche?

A few popular and profitable copywriting niches include:

• Health and wellness
• Finance
• Technology and SaaS (Software as a Service)
• B2B marketing (Business to Business)
• Real estate
• Ecommerce
• Digital marketing
• Legal
• Education
• Green technology and sustainability

While ideally you’ll pick one niche and run with it, you can also choose 2 or 3 to specialize in. It’s helpful if they’re related, too — for example health and wellness + sustainability, legal + financial, or B2B + SaaS.

2. Master SEO

The purpose of copywriting is to persuade the reader to take action.

But how can they take action if they can’t even find the business online?

That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in.

SEO goes hand-in-hand with copywriting. If you’re writing web content, it’s super helpful and convenient for clients if you can also optimize that content for search engines.

It means they don’t have to hire anyone else to do their SEO, they can just pay YOU more!

Here are a few SEO-related skills to learn:

• Keyword research
• On-page SEO
• Backlink building
• Writing meta descriptions

Learning SEO and using these skills in your copywriting work will help increase your client’s online visibility, and it’ll increase your salary too!

3. Build a Robust Portfolio

We’ve established that the more experience you have, the more money you can make as a copywriter.

And your portfolio is how you showcase your experience.

You can create your own website for your portfolio, or use a platform like LinkedIn or Contently.

Either way, it should contain your very best copywriting work.

Copywriting portfolios can contain:

• Articles you’ve written
• Web copy
• Sales pages
• White papers
• Case studies

And any other copywriting work you’re proud of.

And here’s a pro tip: Don’t just post the link to your work — write copy describing each project, and the results you were able to achieve with it (for example, if web page rewrite increased its traffic by 30%).

So yes — you need to use your copywriting skills within your portfolio too! 🙂

And one more thing — don’t forget to update your portfolio to add new pieces as you create them.

Related reading: How to Build a Winning Copywriting Portfolio (+ Examples)

4. Network

Most businesses like to hire within their personal and professional networks.

So that means you need to get out there and meet people.

And not just any people, the right people.

So put yourself out there on social platforms like LinkedIn and X (Twitter), join online communities and attend industry events. Follow and connect with people you’d love to work for, and other copywriters who are doing the work you want to do.

You’ll even find many employers share job openings on their social platforms before they post them on a job board (giving you a chance to apply early!).

Remember, if you knock your work out of the park with one client, they’ll likely refer you to their friends, and like a snowball rolling down a hill, your income will keep growing.

5. Negotiate

When you land a client or a full-time role, you’ll have a chance to negotiate your rate or salary.

Gather as much intel as you can about your client/employer. Do you know how much they’ve paid people in the past? How is the business doing financially? Do you know what their budget for the year is? Find this information out in advance if you can — it’ll help you choose a number that is big enough to fairly compensate you, but not too big that it scares them off.

And if you don’t have access to that information, here are a few points to consider:

• How competitive is the role, and how closely do I meet the unique job requirements? (The more qualifications you meet, the higher your number should be)
• If they pay is low, does this employer offer benefits outside of money? (For example, do they have a lot of industry connections that will grow my career?)
• What do I need to make to cover all my bills and have a healthy amount leftover?
• What is the average salary/pay rate for a copywriter with my level of experience?

And remember, your salary level and rates are never final. You should aim for a raise at least once a year, and if you’re a freelancer, you should raise your rates a little higher with every new client.

6. Keep Learning

The digital world is evolving quickly — so you need to be constantly leveling up your skills and expertise.

Enroll in online courses, attend webinars, and subscribe to industry-leading newsletters to keep your knowledge sharp.

Sites like Coursera, Skillshare, or Smart Blogger can be excellent resources. Learning more about your client’s industry can also give you a competitive edge.

Keeping up with industry knowledge will help you do your job better, build client trust, and of course, earn more money.

Ready to Enhance Your Copywriter Salary?

By now you’ve figured out that a copywriter’s salary isn’t cut and dry.

It depends on quite a few different factors. But the cool thing is, most of those factors are within your control — like building your experience, growing your expertise and learning how to negotiate.

The power is in your hands now — so use it to find the perfect copywriting job and negotiate your ideal rate.

And soon you’ll be making a healthy living doing what you love.