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Copywriter Survey
› 2016
Copywriter Survey 2016
610 respondents · Fieldwork December–January · Published February 2016
What 610 UK copywriters earned, how they charged and how they felt about the job. Two-thirds were freelancers, and hardly any wanted to leave.
Download the full report (PDF)Copywriter Survey
2016
610 UK commercial writers
Headline findings
£337
average freelance day rate
Day rates
A baseline for day rates
Freelancers reported an average day rate of £337. Rates in London averaged £426, against £254 in Scotland.
Our first survey, so no comparison
£39,850
average full-time income
Earnings
Founders earn the most
Full-time copywriters earned an average of £39,850 a year. Agency founders averaged £57,621 and in-house writers £31,481.
28%
average gap, men over women
Gender pay gap
Three times the national gap
Men earned an average of £45,939 and women £33,298, a gap of 28%. The ONS median gap for full-time UK workers in 2015 was 9.4%.
2%
want to change careers
Career
Few want out
Only 2% of respondents said they wanted to change careers. Two-thirds of the people who took part were freelancers.