The availability of Wi-Fi and laptops means freelance copywriters can work anywhere for clients around the globe.
Written words are everywhere around us -- in books, newspapers, online and even the ads people see while shopping. Copywriters put each of those words on paper, transferring concepts into tangible documents. The income of a freelance copywriter is more volatile than the income of salaried copywriters, but freelancers have more control over their work and can choose the projects and hours they want.
Type of Project
Copywriters may work on many different types of projects -- these projects represent different sectors within the copywriting field. Each sector pays a different average rate. For example, doing advertising copywriting yields an average hourly rate of $83 an hour as of 2011, while ghostwriting provides hourly pay of $67, says Lynn Wasnak of Writer's Digest. Similarly, catalog copywriting pays $71 an hour. The average income of a copywriter thus depends largely on the type of copywriting she opts to do.
Billing Method
Copywriters bill in various ways, depending on the sector in which they work. For instance, most script writing and editing is done on a per project basis, not by hour. Some projects lend themselves to a per word or per page rate. To compare rates of different copywriters and calculate average earnings, you have to convert each of these billing methods to one standard, such as dividing the total project cost by hours worked to figure an hourly rate.
Technical Level
Some sectors require much more technical expertise in copywriting than others do. For instance, a copywriter working on a consumer manual or medical document must have an understanding of complex terminology associated with the project, as well as formatting standards for the sector. The more technical a project is, the more a copywriter usually charges.
Experience
Copywriters who are just starting out routinely offer rates well below their experienced counterparts -- a rate of $10 to $30 an hour is more typical for these writers. If a writer has no literary experience, he may accept rates as low as $1 to $3 for an article; the goal is to build a resume rather than to make a lot of money. More experienced writers may command $100 to $200 hour -- some may charge as much as $500 in some sectors such as webinar writing.
Bottom Line
Freelance copywriters may charge relatively high hourly fees, but this makes up for the fact that their projects are inconsistent. Freelancers constantly have to spend extra time marketing themselves, which dips into profits. Many freelance copywriters do not earn enough solely from writing to support themselves. A rate of $35,000 is typical, says Wasnak, although the best copywriters may earn as much as $200,000 a year.
