How to use the per word rate calculator
- Choose what you want to find: the project fee from a rate, the rate from a project fee, or the rate from an hourly goal.
- Enter the word count and the number you know: the rate per word, the project fee or your hourly goal.
- Enter the hours the project takes you. It is needed for the hourly goal and it lets the tool show your effective hourly pay in the other modes.
- Read the rate per word, the rate per 1,000 words, the fee and your pay per hour.
Formula
Project fee = words x rate per word
Rate per word = project fee / words
Rate from an hourly goal = hourly goal x hours / words
Effective pay per hour = project fee / hours
Rate per 1,000 words is the rate per word times 1,000. Rates are shown to the cent when whole cents, and to four decimals when needed.
A 1,500 word article
At $0.10 a word, 1,500 words are $150.00, which is $100.00 per 1,000 words. If the project takes 3 hours, you earn $50.00 an hour and write 500 words an hour.
Going the other way, a $300 fee for 2,000 words is $0.15 a word. To earn $60 an hour on a project of 2,000 words that takes 4 hours, you need a fee of $240.00, which is $0.12 a word.
Per word is a pricing unit, not a measure of effort
A per word rate is easy to quote, but it hides how long the work takes. Research, interviews, edits and emails do not show up in the word count. That is why the tool asks for hours, so you can check what a rate really pays you per hour, and set a rate that keeps a project worth taking.
Rates depend on the field, the client and your experience. The tool does not know what is paid in your area of work, so it never says a rate is high or low. It just converts between ways of stating a price.
From rate to a business
To set the hourly rate you need for your whole business, including costs, taxes and unpaid time, use the freelance rate calculator. The income goal calculator shows how much work you need, and the invoice generator makes the invoice once the fee is agreed.
To convert an hourly rate to a salary, try the hourly to salary calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- The word count is what you and the client agree to count.
- Rates and hours are your own numbers. No market rate is built in.
- Taxes, platform fees, unpaid revisions and the time spent finding the work are not included.
- Word count, rate, fee and hours must be above zero.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a per word rate?
Divide the project fee by the number of words. A $300 fee for 2,000 words is $0.15 a word.
How do I turn a per word rate into an hourly rate?
Multiply the rate by the words in the project to get the fee, then divide by the hours the work takes. At $0.10 a word, 1,500 words in 3 hours is $50.00 an hour.
How do I find the per word rate for an hourly goal?
Multiply your hourly goal by the hours the project takes and divide by the words. To earn $60 an hour for 4 hours on 2,000 words, the rate is $0.12 a word.
What is the rate per 1,000 words?
It is the rate per word times 1,000. A rate of $0.10 a word is $100.00 per 1,000 words.