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How much do copywriters earn in 2022?

We’ve got the cold hard facts.

But first, the caveats:

Most of the following information comes from the ProCopywriters annual surveys. While we do our best to cast a wide net, our reports are not a complete picture of the UK’s commercial writers.

With around 500-600 respondents each year, the data provides a useful glimpse into this world, but it can’t be considered a complete or perfect proxy for reality.

Our respondents are all ages, working in all regions, for all kinds of clients, in all kinds of industries, doing all kinds of work. Don’t use this information in isolation to make any major decisions.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

What can you expect to earn as a copywriter in 2022?

Here’s what we found when we asked 561 copywriters to spill the beans in 2021:

 

Average copywriter day rates

Your day rate should reflect the value you offer, the skills you’ve developed, and the expertise you’ve acquired.

Your day rate is entirely your choice, and the following numbers should not be seen as a guide. After all, these are averages. The entire data set includes people charging as little as £100 per day, and people charging £2,000+ for a day of their time.

 

Average day rates from ProCopywriters surveys:

2021: £387

2020: £379

2019: £349

2018: £342

 

Full time copywriter earnings

Again, these averages will encompass a huge variety of positions, seniority levels and career paths.

 

2021: £53,123

2020: £48,043

2019: £43,092

2018: £43,940

 

Copywriter income by employment type

How does your employment type affect your earning potential?

Agency founder: £103,548

Employed & freelance: £59,631

In-house: £53,769

Freelance: £49,675

Agency: £37,978

 

Average salaries from Glassdoor

The average salaries for copywriting roles broadly matches the kind of figures we’ve produced from our surveys:

Content designer: £40,552

Content strategist: £41,997

Copywriter: £28,966

Lead copywriter: £41,437

Senior copywriter: £43,852

 

What next?

If you’re feeling inspired after reading this far, you might be wondering about your next steps. If that’s you, you might appreciate…

Suggested rates for hiring copywriters (which also explores pricing strategies)

How do copywriters decide on their fees and pricing models? – by Sarah Monaghan

How to increase your day rate as a freelance copywriter – by Leif Kendall

How much should freelancers charge? – by Joe Hall

 

ProCopywriters survey reports

If you want to compare all the past data, the ProCopywriters survey reports are all free to download:

ProCopywriters survey 2021

ProCopywriters survey 2020

ProCopywriters survey 2019

ProCopywriters survey 2018

ProCopywriters survey 2017

ProCopywriters survey 2016

 

 

Featured image credit: Photo by Johny Goerend on Unsplash

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