How Much Do Copywriters Make?

Digital marketing’s continuous growth comes with an increased demand for copywriting. Brands are now investing more in their marketing efforts, which makes effective copy more in demand to attract customers and boost conversions, whether for ad campaigns, social media posts, sales pages, email marketing, product descriptions, or other materials. This has led to new opportunities to earn decent copywriting income in the job market. 

Given the high demand and low barriers to entry, copywriting can become a profitable career option with multiple growth paths depending on your interest. There’s no fixed number on how much you can make as a copywriter as it depends on many factors like niche, level of experience, and skill. To give you an idea, ZipRecruiter estimates the average copywriter salary to be $37 per hour as of October 4, 2024. 

This guide shows a breakdown of potential salary figures based on different countries, experience, and type of copywriting, so you can get a better sense of opportunities in the field.

Freelance vs. Employee

Copywriters can work freelance or as an in-house employee in an agency or corporation. Salaries in each case may vary significantly depending on your skill, experience, or position, but here are some ballpark figures to give you an estimate:

• Freelance: $45,562 to $141,712 per year ($80,353 average)
• Employee: $44,202 to $99,428 per year ($66,294 average)

Salary figures last updated on October 10, 2024

Copywriters on Reddit share that they earn $40,000 to $85,000 in an agency. Notably, in-house copywriters report higher salaries than the above estimates, with values ranging from $111,000 to $210,000 based on seniority and location.

As a freelance copywriter, you’ll need to market your services, find your own clients, and set your rates. The advantage is you have more freedom over your time and workload, which allows you to dictate how much or what type of projects you want to take on. Your income is variable, though, since you only get paid when you have client work. 

On the other hand, as an employee, you receive a regular paycheck and additional benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and bonuses. Depending on the nature of the position, you may specialize in a particular industry or take on a more generalist role, but you won’t need to find your own clients. The main drawback is that you’ll have less flexibility and control over your work and schedule. 

One option isn’t necessarily better than the other, as the choice depends on your preferences. Some enjoy the independence afforded by freelancing, but others feel more comfortable with the stability of an employee.

How much do junior copywriters make?

A junior copywriter is an entry-level position that typically applies to writers with 0 to 2 years of experience. In this role, you work under a copywriter or senior copywriter and create engaging copy for different projects. This path also provides many opportunities to advance in your career, whether you decide to continue writing or move to editing. 

According to Indeed, the average salary of a junior copywriter is $54,908 per year, roughly translating to $24 per hour, with the annual income varying from $44,112 to $68,346, depending on the location and employer. One Redditor mentions earning $48,000, falling within the lower end of Indeed’s estimated range, even though they have more than a year of professional experience.

Zippia provides a slightly higher estimate, citing an average annual salary of $60,652, amounting to an hourly rate of $29.16. A copywriter on Reddit shares a similar experience, reporting a starting salary of $60,000 as a junior copywriter with no prior experience.

Salary figures last updated on October 10, 2024

How much do SEO copywriters make?

SEO copywriters specialize in creating copy optimized for search engines to rank higher in search results and drive more organic traffic. There is a large demand in this field due to the growing importance of SEO in digital marketing, which allows brands to make their website more visible and gain more opportunities to convert prospects into customers. 

ZipRecruiter notes that the average annual income of an SEO copywriter ranges from $30,500 to $140,000, with the national average at $76,412. Glassdoor provides similar figures, estimating an average annual income of SEO copywriters at $51,000 to $87,000, with the average at $66,000.

Salary figures last updated on October 10, 2024

How much do advertising copywriters make?

Advertising copywriters are in charge of producing written content to go with visual assets for advertising campaigns. In this position, you’ll work with creative or art directors to plan and run effective ads, whether for print, radio, TV, or online. Regardless of the format, the main goal is to sell products and improve brand recognition. 

In terms of income, Salary.com estimates the annual income of an advertising copywriter to range from $53,359 to $68,251, with an average of $59,876. Glassdoor provides slightly higher estimates, citing an annual income range of $56,000 to $92,000, with an average of $63,174.

Salary figures last updated on October 10, 2024

How much do copywriters make in other countries?

Regardless of the type of copywriting role you decide to pursue, geographical location will be a key factor that affects your income. Naturally, different countries have different costs of living and standards—and even within each country, numbers may vary across cities. To give you an idea of how much copywriters make in other countries, here are rough estimates:

Country	Hourly Rate	Annual Income
United States	$39	$81,793
Canada	$29.85 (C$41)	$61,636 (C$84,648)
India	$1.91 (₹160)	$4,211 (₹3,53,566)
United Kingdom	$30.06 (£23)	$61,354 (£46,938)
Spain	$24.05 (€22)	$50,783 (€46,460)
France	$27.33 (€25)	$58,954 (€52,935)
Germany	$33.88 (€31)	$69,850 (€63,904)
Sweden	$24.52 (SEK 255)	$51,010 (SEK 530,525)
Norway	$32.08 (NOK 346)	$66,801 (NOK 720,424)
Brazil	$9.83 (BRL 55)	$20,320 (BRL 113,687)
Australia	$28.62 (A$42.58)	$54,298 (A$80,789)

It’s important to note that the figures above apply to a very broad scope of copywriters, so the average income listed may be skewed by particularly low or high numbers. To get a more accurate estimate, it’ll be helpful to look up salary benchmarks for specific positions based on your credentials, niche, years of experience, and copywriting specialization.

What should you consider about making money from copywriting?

Given the varying levels of income you can earn as a copywriter, you might be wondering how to set rates, how much to aim for, or whether you can make enough money for a living in this job. To address these concerns, you should think of your career goals and consider a range of things, including:

• Economics. Cost of living, inflation, and expenses all play a big role in determining how much you should aim to make as a copywriter. In general, locations with higher costs of living naturally command higher salaries, but having a rough idea of the economics will give you more concrete numbers to look for while seeking jobs or clients.

• Lifestyle. It’s also worth considering your current lifestyle to gauge how much you need to sustain it. Of course, this will not directly lead to higher rates or salaries, but it merely provides you with a benchmark to think about.

It’s worth noting that the above will only help you understand how much your ideal income should be to support your lifestyle and make a living. However, they do not influence your earning potential. If you plan to pursue copywriting as a full-time career, it’ll be best to assess the factors below to understand what specific paths can help you maximize your opportunities:

• Experience. As with any other job, experience is a big factor that affects how much you can earn as a copywriter. Naturally, if you’re just starting, you’ll likely be earning less than if you had years of experience under your belt.

• Skills and Portfolio. Aside from experience, your skills and portfolio also play a big role in dictating your earning potential. In fact, these may weigh even more since clients and employers often use your portfolio as a basis to determine if you’re fit for the role and how much they’re willing to pay. Given this, it’s extremely important to build a strong and diverse portfolio to showcase your skills.

• Industry. While you aren’t necessarily required to specialize in a niche in copywriting, consider certain industries that may offer higher incomes because of demand and difficulty such as healthcare, finance, legal, and technology. For example, an in-house copywriter specializing in financial services shared here that they earn a base pay of $111,000 alongside other benefits and equity.

• Market Demand. Demand for copywriters varies based on industry and the type of copywriting in question. For example, direct response copywriting, website copywriting, SEO copywriting, email copywriting, and social media copywriting are all known to have high income potential due to the high demand.

• Additional Skills. Having relevant skills like understanding SEO or using certain software can give you an edge over other writers in the job market. These skills depend on the role you’re looking at, so you can try looking for job listings to get insights on what employers are after.