Industry matters more for writers than almost any other freelance role, finance, tech (B2B SaaS), and legal content routinely pay double what general lifestyle or hobby-blog writing pays.
SEO and conversion-focused writing (landing pages, email sequences that need to actually sell something) commands a premium over general-purpose content writing.
Per-word pricing (common for blog content) can obscure a low effective hourly rate, a $0.10/word rate on a 1,500-word article that takes 4 hours works out to $37.50/hr, which is worth calculating explicitly rather than assuming.
Ongoing retainer relationships with a single client usually pay a bit less per piece than one-off projects, in exchange for reliable recurring income.
Per-word, per-project, or hourly?
Copywriting is unusual in that all three pricing models are common. Per-word rates ($0.10–$1.00+/word depending on niche) are typical for blog content; flat project rates are typical for one-off assets like a landing page or email sequence; hourly is most common for ongoing strategy or consulting-adjacent work. Whichever model a client prefers, converting it back to an effective hourly rate before agreeing is the easiest way to make sure you're not underpricing complex, research-heavy topics that take longer than they look.
Getting paid once you've set your rate
A rate only matters if it actually gets collected. Once you've picked a number, send a professional invoice that states your terms clearly, and consider a simple contract for anything beyond a quick one-off, it's the easiest way to avoid scope creep eating into that hourly number. If you want to see how your rate translates into real take-home pay after taxes and time off, try the freelance take-home pay calculator.