Freelance editing services cost$108 - $589

National average fixed price

Most common low price:$108
Most common high price:$589

How much are freelance editing rates?

By Thumbtack Staff

Last updated Mon, Oct 20

Professional freelance editors review manuscripts, web content, academic work, technical documents, business plans and more. Most editors specialize in one or more editing style manuals, including Associated Press (AP), Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago and others. Some editors coordinate projects entirely online, and others meet with clients in person to kick off projects. Editors can help people who are self-publishing a book, completing a dissertation or building a business website to ensure that copy is polished and effective. The national average for this type of work is $108 - $589.

National average cost	$252
Low-end average cost	$108
High-end average cost	$589

Editors assist with many stages of the writing process. Substantive—or developmental—editing focuses on the structure of an entire project to ensure cohesion and organization throughout. Copy editing ensures grammatical correctness, accurate spelling, proper language usage, clarity, and overall consistency in style. Several factors affect the cost of professional editing services.

Hourly rate
Per word
Tiered editing
Minimum fee

Hourly rate

Some editors charge an hourly rate for their time. Todd Larson of Accurate Editing & Typingin Watertown, Massachusetts, consults with clients on their desired outcomes for editing, then provides an estimate based on the number of expected hours the job will take. Clients pay a 25 percent deposit of the total, with the remainder due upon project completion. Larson’s hourly rate is $45 for editing and rewriting.

Per word

Some freelance editors charge by the word. On average, one double-spaced page has 250–300 words. Here’s how Pavita Singh of Pavedita in Palo Alto, California, breaks down costs for editing services based on word count and type of editing:

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Tiered editing

Depending on the level of editing desired, the per-word or per-page price can be higher or lower. In general, substantive (developmental) editing requires big-picture thinking and potentially more work for an editor than copy editing. Copy editing verifies that a document adheres to the chosen style guide and grammatically accurate and free of spelling errors. Developmental editing considers the content overall and edits are made to the flow of the work to better convey the message or story. Here are cost examples of two tiers of editing from Edit911 in Oviedo, Florida:

Tier 1: Proofreading, improvements to diction, sentence structure, flow and clarity. This tier is for well-written texts that require minor editing.

Up to 2,000 words: $100 flat rate
2,000–3,999 words: $125 flat rate
4,000–5,999 words: $150 flat rate
6,000–39,999 words: $25 per 1,000 words
40,000–59,999 words: $24 per 1,000 words
60,000–79,999 words: $23 per 1,000 words
80,000–150,000 words: $22 per 1,000 words
Any amount greater than 150,000 words is $21 per 1,000 words

Tier 2: Line editing, copy editing, in-depth improvements to language usage, organization, phrasing, scholarly tone (in the case of academic texts), style formatting (AP, Chicago or MLA) and feedback on content. For fiction, this tier includes a critique of plot development and characterization. For nonfiction and academic works, feedback identifies any unsupported or underdeveloped points or arguments.

Up to 2,000 words: $100 flat rate
2,000–3,999 words: $125 flat rate
4,000–5,999 words: $150 flat rate
6,000–39,999 words: $28 per 1,000 words
40,000–59,999 words: $27 per 1,000 words
60,000–79,999 words: $26 per 1,000 words
80,000–150,000 words: $25 per 1,000 words
Any amount greater than 150,000 words: $24 per 1,000 words

Minimum fee

Some editors charge a minimum fee for their services to cover the cost of their time and energy spent on a particular project in lieu of other work. Many editors also work in academics or hold advanced degrees, and this fee reflects the value of their time and their expertise. All the editors at Edit911 hold doctorate degrees and charge a minimum service fee of $100, which includes editing for up to 2,000 words.

How do we know these prices?

Millions of people ask Thumbtack for help with their projects every year. We track the estimates they get from local professionals, conduct our own research and then we share those prices with you. The prices reflected in the article above are for informational purposes only and are subject to change at any time. Contact a professional near you to receive a personalized cost estimate for your project.

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