{
  "dataset": "freelance-rates-benchmark",
  "verified": "2026-08",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0, link to https://workingfigures.com/data/freelance-rates",
  "roles": [
    {
      "id": "writers",
      "role": "Writers & copywriters",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "EFA Editorial Rates Chart",
          "url": "https://www.the-efa.org/rates/",
          "year": "2026",
          "reported": "Work-for-hire writing $70-100/hr (articles), $65-75/hr (business); ghostwriting $75-125/hr"
        },
        {
          "source": "Peak Freelance survey (213 writers)",
          "url": "https://peakfreelance.com/blog/freelance-writing-rates/",
          "year": "2021",
          "reported": "$250-399 most common price for a 1,500-word blog post; whitepapers most often $500-999"
        },
        {
          "source": "BLS OEWS, Writers and Authors",
          "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273043.htm",
          "year": "May 2025",
          "reported": "Median hourly wage $36.98 (employed + freelance combined)"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "editors",
      "role": "Editors & proofreaders",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "EFA Editorial Rates Chart",
          "url": "https://www.the-efa.org/rates/",
          "year": "2026",
          "reported": "Copyediting median $50-60/hr; developmental $55-75/hr; proofreading $40-55/hr; medical specialties run $10-20 higher"
        },
        {
          "source": "BLS OEWS, Editors",
          "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273041.htm",
          "year": "May 2025",
          "reported": "Median hourly wage $37.46"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "designers",
      "role": "Graphic designers",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "PayScale, Freelance Graphic Designer (234 profiles)",
          "url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Freelance_Graphic_Designer/Hourly_Rate",
          "year": "2026",
          "reported": "Average $38.06/hr; 10th-90th percentile $20.68-85.11/hr"
        },
        {
          "source": "BLS OEWS, Graphic Designers",
          "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271024.htm",
          "year": "May 2025",
          "reported": "Median hourly wage $30.27"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "developers",
      "role": "Web developers",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "BLS OEWS, Web Developers",
          "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151254.htm",
          "year": "May 2025",
          "reported": "Median hourly wage $44.54; freelance rates typically run well above staff medians once benefits and unbillable time are priced in"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "assistants",
      "role": "Virtual assistants",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "Project Untethered VA survey (147 VAs)",
          "url": "https://www.projectuntethered.com/virtual-assistant-survey/",
          "year": "2024",
          "reported": "US-based VAs average $35.61/hr; full-time-income VAs average $33/hr; Philippines-based average $11.33/hr"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "grantWriters",
      "role": "Grant writers",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "Grant Professionals Association survey (via OpenGrants)",
          "url": "https://opengrants.io/grant-writer-salary-number-nobody-agrees-on/",
          "year": "2023",
          "reported": "~$90/hr working average; freelance range $25/hr (beginners) to $200+/hr (federal specialists)"
        },
        {
          "source": "Instrumentl, Grant Writing Fees",
          "url": "https://www.instrumentl.com/blog/grant-writing-fees",
          "year": "2025",
          "reported": "Beginners $29-36/hr; intermediate ~$60/hr; experts ~$125/hr; percentage-of-grant pricing discouraged"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "podcastEditors",
      "role": "Podcast editors",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "Podcast Editors Mastermind industry survey",
          "url": "https://podcasteditorsmastermind.com/episode/the-2024-podcast-editor-industry-survey-reveal-",
          "year": "2024",
          "reported": "Average $199 per hour-long episode"
        },
        {
          "source": "Rephonic, podcast editing cost guide",
          "url": "https://rephonic.com/blog/podcast-editing-cost/",
          "year": "2024",
          "reported": "Freelancers and studios $50-500 per episode; observed hourly $10-130+"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "translators",
      "role": "Translators",
      "figures": [
        {
          "source": "EFA Editorial Rates Chart",
          "url": "https://www.the-efa.org/rates/",
          "year": "2026",
          "reported": "Translation from English median $60-75/hr; into English $47.50-62.50/hr"
        },
        {
          "source": "Inbox Translation / ITI survey (2,803 translators)",
          "url": "https://inboxtranslation.com/resources/research/freelance-translator-survey-2023/",
          "year": "2023",
          "reported": "Median GBP 0.071-0.10 per word; median hourly GBP 26-40; association members charge ~44% more"
        },
        {
          "source": "BLS OEWS, Interpreters and Translators",
          "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273091.htm",
          "year": "May 2025",
          "reported": "Median hourly wage $28.93"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}