Freelance Technical Writer Hourly Rates
Median hourly rate
$50/hr
Typical range
$46–$64
25th–75th percentile
Submissions
38
Latest record: October 2025
Highest country median
United States
$50/hr · at least 25 records
Hourly rates by country
| Location | Median / hr | Middle 50% | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $50 | $45–$65 | 35 |
Hourly rates by experience
| Experience | Median / hr | Middle 50% | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 yearsSmall sample | $50 | $40–$50 | 19 |
| 11–15 yearsSmall sample | $63 | $60–$65 | 6 |
| 16+ yearsSmall sample | $90 | $60–$120 | 10 |
USD per hour. Groups below 5 records are omitted; groups below 25 are marked as small samples. These are separate comparisons: country and experience figures must not be combined to infer a rate. The rate planner can look up the actual matching group.
What should you quote?
The median of $50/hr equals $400 for 8 billable hours. That conversion is not a separately observed day rate. Account for your non-billable time and costs before choosing a price.
Records added 2023–2025. Dates reflect when records entered the database, including imports; they do not establish when the work was performed. Methodology & limitations
Recent rate records
| Role / location | USD / hour |
|---|---|
| Technical Writer · Seattle, WA, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · New York, NY, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · L A, CA, USA | $120 |
| Technical Writer · Colorado Springs, CO, USA | $40 |
| Technical Writer · Philadelphia, PA, USA | $40 |
| Technical Writer · Colorado Springs, CO, USA | $40 |
| Technical Writer · New York, NY, USA | $90 |
| Technical Writer · Baltimore, MD, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · Des Moines, IA, USA | $45 |
| Technical Writer · Nice, France | $60 |
| Technical Writer · Atlanta, GA, USA | $65 |
| Technical Writer · Baltimore, MD, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · Kansas City, MO, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · Baltimore, MD, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · Atlanta, GA, USA | $65 |
| Technical Writer · New York, NY, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · L A, CA, USA | $120 |
| Technical Writer · Kansas City, MO, USA | $50 |
| Technical Writer · Philadelphia, PA, USA | $40 |
| Technical Writer · Baltimore, MD, USA | $50 |
Similar roles
Freelance Technical Writer rate distribution
Rate distribution
Rate by experience level
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Frequently asked questions
- How much do freelance Technical Writers charge per hour?
- Based on 38 crowdsourced submissions, freelance Technical Writers charge an average of $60 per hour, with the middle 50% of rates between $46 and $64. Latest record added October 2025.
- What do top-earning freelance Technical Writers make?
- The top 10% of Technical Writer submissions report $99 per hour or more. These are self-reported hourly charges, not take-home pay or guaranteed earnings.
- Which skills are most commonly reported with Technical Writer rates?
- The most common skills in Technical Writer submissions are Writing, Wordpress, and Keyword Research. Submission frequency does not measure hiring demand or prove a skill causes a higher rate.
- Where does this Technical Writer rate data come from?
- These are public, self-reported rate records. We do not independently verify earnings or count unique people. The dataset includes historical records; see our methodology for currency assumptions, sample thresholds, and date limitations.
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