Advertising Copywriting Pay Rates

How Much to Charge for and Where to Sell Media Writing

Aug 21, 2009

Ad Copywriting Pays More Than Other Writing., MorgueFile

Advertising copywriting pays higher than other types of writing, but knowing what to charge based on experience and assignment requirements are the keys to making money.

Writing has never been the highest-paying profession, and those who write for a living usually love the craft and are willing to work hard. The good news is that writing for advertising and public relations firms pays higher than most writing positions. Writers can use this information on pay rates to judge potential jobs or bargain with potential employers or clients.

Pay for Advertising Copywriting

Advertising copywriters can expect to be paid by the hour, by the project or by the word for copywriting projects.

The average pay rate is $90 per hour, $2,000 per project or $1.63 per word.
The high end of payment is $150 per hour, $9,000 per project or $3 per word.
The low end of payment is $35 per hour, $150 per project or $0.25 per word.

Pay for Catalog Copywriting

Catalog copywriters can expect to be paid by the hour or by the item.

The average pay rate is $60 per hour or $80 per item.
The high end of payment is $100 per hour or $350 per item.
The low end of payment is $25 per hour or $25 per item.

Pay for Direct-Mail Copywriting

Direct-mail copywriters can expect to be paid by the hour, by the project, by the word or by the page.

The average pay rate is $90 per hour, $8,000 per project, $1.50 per word or $400 per page.
The high end of payment is $150 per hour, $50,000 per project, $4 per word or $1,200 per page.
The low end of payment is $50 per hour, $600 per project, $1 per word or $200 per page.

Pay for Email Ad Copywriting

Email ad copywriters can expect to be paid per hour or project, and occasionally by the word.

The average pay rate is $80 per hour, $800 per project or $2 per word.
The high end of payment is $100 per hour or $3,500 per project.
The low end of payment is $50 per hour or $200 per project.

Remember that these pay rates are only averages and payment averages can vary greatly from different regions depending on demand. Beginning copywriters should expect to make the low end of payment for projects, and the high end of payment is usually reserved for experts who are well-known in their fields.

While some figures seem high, such as $1,200 per page of direct-mail advertising copywriting, remember that these types of projects are likely to only require one page of highly-focused, researched material that takes much work to produce.