Calculate your rate or price per word from pay and word count, a project fee from cents per word, or the words a budget buys, plus your hourly rate.
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Rate Per Word Formula
The basic relationship is total cost equals the number of words multiplied by the rate per word.
- TC = total cost in dollars
- W = total number of words
- R = rate per word in dollars per word
If you know the total number of words and the rate per word, the calculator finds the total cost.
If you know the budget and the rate per word, the calculator reports the whole words it can cover, rounded down. The unrounded algebraic count appears in the details.
If you know the total cost and the word count, the calculator finds the rate per word.
- Project fee mode: enter words and rate per word. Optional adjustments apply the rush surcharge first, then the discount, then the minimum fee floor.
- Total words mode: enter total cost and rate per word to calculate the word count.
- Rate per word mode: enter total payment and word count. The hourly-target mode divides your target hourly amount by your end-to-end words per hour; optional time estimates and target comparisons use the time you enter.
Illustrative Rate Per Word Ranges
Rates vary by writing type, experience, subject difficulty, research time and revision requirements. The ranges below are illustrative scenarios, not surveyed averages or recommended prices. For category-specific survey context, see the EFA 2026 Rate Chart, based on reported 2025 rates; individual rates can vary considerably.
| Work type | Illustrative rate per word | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic blog writing | $0.03 to $0.10 | Example range for a simple, low-research scenario. |
| Standard web content | $0.10 to $0.30 | Example range only; agree the scope and fee. |
| Technical or specialist writing | $0.30 to $1.00+ | Example specialist scenario; research and review affect the agreed fee. |
| Editing or proofreading | $0.01 to $0.10 | Illustrative range; light proofreading and deeper editing have different scopes. |
Quick Cost Estimates by Word Count
| Word count | At $0.05/word | At $0.10/word | At $0.25/word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 words | $25.00 | $50.00 | $125.00 |
| 1,000 words | $50.00 | $100.00 | $250.00 |
| 2,000 words | $100.00 | $200.00 | $500.00 |
| 5,000 words | $250.00 | $500.00 | $1,250.00 |
Example Calculations
Example 1: Find the total cost
You need 1,200 words at $0.08 per word.
The total cost is $96.00.
Example 2: Find the rate per word
You paid $150 for 2,000 words.
The rate is $0.075 per word. Rounded to cents, that is about $0.08 per word.
FAQ
How do you calculate rate per word?
Divide the total cost by the total number of words. For example, if a 1,000-word article costs $120, the rate per word is $120 divided by 1,000, which equals $0.12 per word.
Should spaces, headings, or footnotes count as words?
Usually, a word count includes headings and body text. Spaces are not counted as words. Footnotes, captions, tables, and references may or may not be included, depending on the agreement. Use the same word count rule for both pricing and payment.
Why does the calculator show a rounded rate?
Money fields are often rounded to two decimal places. A true per-word rate can have more than two decimals, such as $0.075 per word. For exact pricing, keep extra decimal places when setting the rate, then round only the final total cost.
