How much does copywriting really pay?
The nearest official figure is a US median of $36.98 an hour for writers and authors, a group that includes copywriters. Freelance rates have no official number.
Copywriters write words that sell: ads, emails and web pages. The US Department of Labor’s writers and authors group lists copywriters among its job titles, with a 2025 median of $76,910 a year. That covers employed writers in the US, so new freelancers should expect their own rates to depend on clients and results.
What do you need for copywriting?
- Writing samplesClients buy on what they can read.
- A niche helpsKnowing an industry is easier to sell than ‘writing’.
- A way to find clientsDirect outreach, or platforms that take a fee.
What copywriting really pays
| Item | Amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| US median, writers and authors | $36.98 an hour | 2025 figure, or $76,910 a year |
| Job outlook | Little or no change | Projected 2025 to 2035 |
| Freelance rates | No official figure | Set by you and your client |
| Upwork fee | 0% to 15% | If you find clients there |
| Fiverr fee | 20% | If you find clients there |
If you work for yourself in the US, the IRS sets self-employment tax at 15.3%, so a quote has to cover that too.
What it adds up to
| Hours a week | A week at $36.98 an hour |
|---|---|
| 10 hours a week | $369.80 |
| 20 hours a week | $739.60 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,479.20 |
The US median for employed writers and authors, the group that includes copywriters, before tax. Freelance rates have no official figure. Our sums on the US figure above: an example, not a promise.
When does copywriting pay you?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Paid out at | Set by your client or platform |
| First money | Set by your client or platform |
What is the catch with copywriting?
- The median is for the whole group, which also includes authors and content writers.
- No official source tracks freelance copywriting rates, so any figure you see is someone’s report.
- A freelancer has unpaid time between jobs, so an hourly rate is not a salary.
- Be careful with a course that promises a copywriting income.
How to start with copywriting
- Write three samplesAn ad, an email and a landing page.
- Pick an industryUse what you already know.
- Pitch ten small businessesA direct client avoids the platform fee.
- Quote per projectThen keep track of what your hour really earned.
Read next
Sources
- O*NET (US Department of Labor): Writers and Authors, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Elevate Pay: Upwork's freelancer service fee in 2026, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Velo Branding: Fiverr fees 2026, checked 5 Nov 2026
- IRS: self-employment tax, checked 5 Nov 2026