The 2020 freelance writing rates in India for all experience levels

Deciding on what to charge your clients is a question that many freelance writers in India have. Since there is no “official” source of freelance writing rates in India, it is quite difficult to arrive at a just price.

Freelance writing rates in India for all type of content writers and creators

Many freelancers are afraid of charging more because they are not familiar with the prices that their skill sets deserve. They just take the rates offered on sites like Freelancer, UpWork, etc. as the benchmark and decide accordingly.

Additionally, there are content writers, especially newbies, who charge less deliberately to get projects. This is a mistake since once you start working for lesser amounts, asking for more becomes a pain.

We have seen writers stuck with the same price per word over years because they did not want to lose their steady income.

Such experiences often cause frustration over time and eventually many of the writers just give up on freelancing.

How freelance writing rates in India are defined?

As already stated above, there is no official source of freelance writing rates. People charge as per their experience levels and the type of content they are writing. Hence, writing rates can vary a lot.

In order to clear this confusion and help writers make more informed choices, we have created a comprehensive price per word chart for Indian freelance writers that will give them an idea about what to charge.

Our data is backed by more than 6 years of experience in this field, pricing research from various sources, and talking to clients and fellow writers.

Freelance Writing Rates in India 2020

LevelExperienceBlog PostWeb Content
Entry0-2 yrs0.25 – 0.400.40 – 0.75
Intermediate2-5 yrs0.50 – 1.201.00 – 2.00
Expert5+ yrs1.50 – 3.002.00 – 5.00
All rates are in rupee/word and are for general content writing with minimum research only

Do note that the prices above are for guidance only and are not fixed. We believe that no content writer should charge less than 25p/word for their content no matter what it is.

Also, there are writers who charge as high as INR 10 / word. Such writers are in-demand experts and have years of experience under their belt.

We have not included such pricing in the above table since we want to give you a much more realistic picture. However, this does not mean that you cannot reach the pricing levels of INR 10 / word. With time and experience, even this pricing level is achievable.

The above prices are what a typical Indian content writer at Freelancer, UpWork or WorknHire will make.

What are the other factors that affect writing rates?

While the above rates are the bare minimum you must charge as a freelance content writer, there are many other services that affect writing rates.

Some of the factors that contribute to higher rates are:

  • When the topic needs in-depth research – There are times when the complexity of the topic is high and it requires in depth research.
    In such cases, the price per word can be as much as 50% higher than the highest rates mentioned above for all levels.
    This is particularly true in the case of technical and academic writing.
  • When you give added services like keyword research – In most of the scenarios, a new content writer will find themselves in a position where they are given a topic and keyword to write on.
    However, with time, writers provide services like topic analysis and keyword research. In such cases, the prices being charged must be higher than the price range given above.
  • When you do additional tasks like create a blog image, social media posting, etc. – There are scenarios where the writer takes care of both the blogs and the social media content for blog promotion.
    Also, it is a common practice for many writers to provide services like designing an image / infograph for the blog using tools like Canva.
    In all such cases, the rates charged will be higher depending on the volume of extra work involved.

Apart from the above, content in highly specialized niche like science, technology, medicine, and academia also demand higher prices. However, such specialized niche are not for every writer.

If you are a specialized writer in any such niche, your prices might be 100% higher than what the usual content writers in UpWork, Freelancer etc. charge.

You must always keep that in mind and add to the base prices given above if you’re doing any value added services for your clients.

So, now you know how much a “typical” content writer in India should charge in 2020.

Here is what you should do next –

  • Identify freelance content writing job sites where you can grab opportunities at these rates or more. You can explore 5 lesser known sources here.
  • Let us know in the comments below about the “typical” prices that you are offered by clients.
  • If you’re a newbie, be sure to check out our content (highlighted below) for the best tips on writing amazing content.
  • Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for all future updates to remain cognizant of the latest in the world of freelance content writing.

Want to be able to write amazing and kick-ass content? This post has the answer.

Wondering how you can add value to your content? Learn the secret mantra of “research” from an expert

22 thoughts on “The 2020 freelance writing rates in India for all experience levels”

  1. Hey I am an intermediate writer with 2+ years of experience. I totally feel that the prices you have mentioned here are justified, but people in small cities aren’t willing to pay for good content. I have quoted 1 rupee per word to people and they have countered it with 15 paisa per word.
    Nonetheless, I would love to hear about Freelancing gigs that you could bring to our notice!! Thank you for it in advance.

    1. Hi Damini,

      Thanks for your valuable comment. It is quite shocking to see people value content writers so less. A reason for this, in our opinion, is the fact that people do not understand the power of content and the efforts a writer has to make to create engaging and valuable content.
      Also, we noted your interest in working with us and will surely get in touch with you regarding this soon.
      Regards,
      Team Write it Right

  2. Hi, thats an really good information for content writers.
    Really appreciated.
    But do you guys also provide any work or any contacts of clients for freelance cintent writing.??

    1. Hi Priya,

      We are delighted to see that you liked the content.
      Yes, we do have freelance writing work available with us from time to time.
      We will get in touch with you via email shortly.

      Regards,
      Team Write it Right

  3. Much needed post…. I’m freelancing for the past 6 months and I’ve reached many companies. The issue is that they need good quality content from us but aren’t willing to pay the deserving payment. I would really love to hear from you for any freelance content writing work.

  4. Thanks for this great information. I have read the whole article and will also appreciate if you provide some work also. Really looking forward for it.

    1. Hi Warisha,

      Many thanks for your appreciation. We periodically have freelance writing projects available with us. We will get in touch with you via email shortly to understand about your writing experience a bit better and see if we can collaborate.

      Regards,
      Team Write it Right

    1. Hi Kishan,

      Many thanks for your interest in working with us. We periodically have freelance writing projects available with us. We will get in touch with you via email shortly to understand about your writing experience a bit better and see if we can collaborate.

      Regards,
      Team Write it Right

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  6. Hello…I am interested to work with you. Please let me know if there are any opportunities available. Thank you!!

  7. Hey, I have been working as an Intern for 10 paisa per word and I feel like it is a lot of work. I am willing to work the same amount if my pay did not make me feel like I am being exploited. I am in the last month of my internship. Should I quit?

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