Figuring out your freelance medical writing rates may feel like a shot in the dark, but that’s the case for most freelancers.
You know that if you charge too little, you risk working too hard for too little pay. If you charge too much, you worry clients won’t hire you.
So how do you find the sweet spot?
Even if I started freelancing with an agency background, there are still times I struggle with pricing, especially when facing a new type of project or client. I found it very helpful to keep an eye on industry benchmarks and regularly review my rates. So whether you’re new to freelance medical writing or ready to raise your prices, I would like to help you feel more confident about your rates, instead of second-guessing yourself.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to set fair prices, use real data to back up your rates, and choose a pricing model that works best for you.
Determine Your Freelance Medical Writing Rate Without Guesswork: Calculate Your Internal Hourly Rate
Why Is It So Hard to Set a Rate?
You’re not the only one who finds that pricing your work is one of the hardest parts of freelancing, and that’s simply because there’s no universal answer. Freelance rates vary based on your experience, niche, client type, and project complexity – but that’s also a good thing! It means:
- you have control over your pricing and can adjust it as you gain expertise.
- your ideal rate won’t look the same as another writer’s.
Even as an experienced medical writer, I still come across situations where rates feel inconsistent. Some clients are happy to pay above my standard rate, while others push back. It’s normal for freelance pricing to fluctuate depending on:
✅ Client type: A large pharma company may have a bigger budget than a small agency.
✅ Project complexity: A basic blog post won’t be priced the same as a strategic advisory board report.
✅ Time & revisions: A client who requests multiple drafts or additional calls may require a higher rate.
✅ Market demand: If my calendar is full, I may hold out for higher-paying projects.
💡 Reality Check: Rates aren’t just about what you want to charge, they’re about what clients are willing to pay. But having a clear strategy (like the three-tiered approach I’m explaining below) makes it easier to stay consistent and profitable.
So instead of guessing, here’s a method to find the right pricing for YOU.
Step 1: Start with a Quick Estimate
If you’re just starting out, use this simple formula to get a rough idea of your baseline rate:
🔹 (Desired monthly income ÷ billable hours) = internal hourly rate
👉 Example Calculation:
- You want to earn £3,000 per month.
- You plan to work 60 billable hours per month.
- Your internal hourly rate = £3,000 ÷ 60 = £50 per hour.
This isn’t what you should charge clients per hour, it’s just a baseline to keep to yourself to guide your pricing.
Step 2: Adjust for a More Accurate Rate
1. Define Your Annual Income Goal
Think beyond survival: what do you need to live comfortably and grow your business?
👉 Example: £50,000 per year
2. Add Business Expenses
Freelancers pay for all of these expenses, and many of these costs are very much dependent on the country where you live:
- Health & liability insurance
- Writing tools & software (e.g., Grammarly, EndNote)
- Marketing & website costs
- Professional development (courses, conferences)
- Taxes…
👉 Example in the UK:
- If your income goal is £50,000, add £15,000 for expenses (~30%).
- Your adjusted target = £65,000 per year.
3. Adjust for Time Off & Admin Work
When you work as a freelancer, not all your time is spent writing. Some of it is “non-billable”, meaning you don’t get paid directly for it, but it’s still important work. One freelance health & medical writer, Rebecca Huxley, said, “In my first year, about 30% of my time was non-billable”. For others, it can be closer to 40% (especially if you start developing online courses!).
Here are some examples of non-billable tasks:
- Finding new clients (also called pitching)
- Answering emails and enquiries
- Sending invoices and chasing payments
- Building your network on LinkedIn
- Admin work (e.g. accounting) and unpaid revisions & meetings
- Vacations & sick days…
Rebecca adds that “although it might sound like a lot, this is normal when you run your own business. And if you ever start outsourcing work or hire help, this percentage might change again.”
This means you won’t be working 52 weeks a year.
👉 For example, if you aim to work 46 weeks per year, with only 60% of your time billable, your billable hours = 1,150 hours per year.
2. Calculate Your True Hourly Rate
🔹 (Income goal + expenses) ÷ total billable hours
👉 Example Calculation:
- Total needed: £65,000
- Billable hours per year: 1,150
- Minimum hourly rate: £65,000 ÷ 1,150 = £57 per hour
Step 3: Use Your Internal Rate to Price Projects (Not Charge Hourly!)
Now that you have a baseline, use it to set project rates that ensure profitability. It’s a good idea to keep reassessing your prices as you gain experience and demand changes over time.
If you’re new to freelance medical writing, your first projects may not bring you your dream rates straight away. Your priorities might be to gain experience first and build a medical writing portfolio and testimonials, but it helps to have a roadmap of where you want to be and keep working towards this objective.
👉 Example:
- A 1,000-word article takes 5 billable hours.
- At £57 per hour, the project should cost at least £285.
- Add extra for expertise, complexity, or rush deadlines.
Step 4: How I Structure My Rates (And Why You Should Too!)
Setting a single rate for every project can be tricky – clients, project types, and expectations all vary. That’s why I use a three-tiered pricing approach:
1️⃣ Lowest Rate – The absolute minimum I’ll accept, typically reserved for long-term clients or projects that fill gaps in my schedule.
2️⃣ Average Rate – My standard rate for most projects, based on industry benchmarks and my experience.
3️⃣ High Rate – A premium rate I charge when I know a client has the budget or when the project requires extra effort (e.g., complex deliverables, tight deadlines, or extensive revisions).
For example, I might charge my standard rate for a typical blog post but double that rate for a client who requires multiple rounds of revisions or highly specialised content.
💡 Top Tips for freelancers:
- Before negotiating, define these three pricing levels for yourself. That way, you can adjust based on the client while ensuring you’re never undervaluing your work.
- Tracking your time with free online tools like Clockify can help you assess the actual profitability of each project and help you adjust your rates when taking on new clients.
- Watch out for currency exchange fees: If you work with international clients, you might lose money each month due to exchange rates or payment platform fees. Rebecca shared that she and other writers were losing about $100 a month – until they switched to using a tool like Wise.
👉 You can build this into your rate to make sure you still get paid what you’re worth.
Where to Find Benchmarking Data & Set Competitive Rates
If you’re wondering if your freelance medical writing rates are competitive, industry benchmarks can help you gauge fair pricing. Most data available reflect numbers for the US though (unless I indicated otherwise) – be mindful that what’s considered a ‘normal rate’ could be different in your country.
5 Top Resources for Freelance Medical Writing Rates
1. Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)
The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) 2024 rate survey provides valuable insights into freelance medical writing and editing rates. These benchmarks can help justify pricing when negotiating with clients.
Medical Writing Rates (EFA 2024):
| Service | Rate Per Hour | Rate Per Word/Page |
| Ghostwriting (Medical) | $82.50–$110 | — |
| Work-for-Hire (Medical Writing) | $70–$85 | $0.57–$1.00 per word |
| Scientific Writing | $80–$100 | — |
Medical Editing Rates (EFA 2024):
| Service | Rate Per Hour | Rate Per Page |
| Medical Copyediting | $50–$65 | $12.33–$12.50 per page |
| Medical Developmental Editing | $60–$75 | $13.75–$17.50 per page |
| Medical Proofreading | $45–$60 | — |
Check the latest EFA rates here
2. EPM Scientific Salary Guide
The EPM Scientific Medical Communications Salary Guide 2024 is based on industry research, market expertise, and direct conversations with hiring managers and professionals. It provides both salary and freelance rate benchmarks for medical writers and editors in the USA and Europe.
USA Contractor Rates – EPM Scientific 2024 (Including Agency Fees):
| Role | Hourly Rate (USD) |
| Medical Writer Consultant | $125 – $155 |
| Scientific Director Consultant | $135 – $160 |
| Medical Strategy Consultant | $130 – $160 |
| Contract Medical Editor | $70 – $90 |
| MLR Specialist Consultant | $60 – $90 |
Europe Contractor Rates- EPM Scientific 2024 (Including Agency Fees):
| Role | Hourly Rate (GBP) |
| Freelance Medical Writer | £70 – £85 |
| Freelance Medical Editor | £60 – £80 |
3. EMWA Business Survey
The European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) Freelance Business Survey highlights trends in pricing, work practices, and business strategies for freelancers.
Freelance Medical Writing Rates by Region (EMWA 2023):
| Country | Average Hourly Rate (€) |
| France | €92.5 |
| Germany | €82.5 |
| United Kingdom | €79 |
| Italy | €63.8 |
| Portugal | €57.9 |
| India | €23 |
Freelance Medical Writing Rates by Specialization (EMWA 2023):
| Specialization | Average Hourly Rate (€) |
| Consulting | €109 |
| Regulatory Writing | €95 |
| Non-Regulatory Writing | €80 |
| Editing | €70 |
| Proofreading | €66 |
Writers in regulatory writing, pharma marketing, or CME content can charge premium rates due to the technical expertise required.
4. AMWA Compensation Survey
If you’re based in the U.S. and write in technical or regulatory fields, another useful resource for medical writing rates is the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Compensation Survey. The latest 2024 version provides insights into freelance medical writing earnings, and although it’s a members-only report, some key findings have been shared publicly.
5. ATFW Freelance Medical Writing Survey
The ATFW Freelance Writing Survey 2023 is not specifically dedicated to medical writing, but it offers real-world data from 346 freelance writers across 31 countries, including the USA, UK, and Europe. This report highlights income trends, pricing strategies, and key factors affecting earnings.
Annual Income Benchmarks for Freelance Writers (ATFW 2023):
| Annual Income Bracket | Global Writers (%) | U.S. Writers (%) |
| $60k or less | 66% | 54% |
| $90k or more | 24% | 32% |
Hourly & Per-Word Rates for Freelance Writers (ATFW 2023):
| Pricing Model | Global Writers | U.S. Writers |
| Charge $51+/hour | 67% | 79% |
| Charge $101+/hour | 22% | 32% |
| Charge $0.50+/word | 32.4% | 48.5% |
How to Use These Data Sources to Help Justify Your Rates
Having an agency background gave me a head start in understanding industry pricing, but even if you’re starting fresh, knowing the going rates for medical writing will help you negotiate with confidence and back up your pricing with real data (when needed). Here are some examples of how to do this in case of need.
🔹 Scenario 1: Setting a Rate for Medical Writing Services
Freelancer: A mid-level freelance medical writer with 3–5 years of experience in the US, looking to price a 1,500-word patient education article.
👉 Example of Rate Justification:
“Industry benchmarks show that experienced medical writers charge between $0.57–$1.00 per word (EFA) and $125–$155/hour (EPM Scientific). Since I have 3–5 years of experience and specialize in patient education, my rate of $130/hour aligns with these standards.”
🔹 Scenario 2: Justifying a Rate Increase to a Client
Freelancer: A senior medical writer who has been charging $100/hour and wants to increase to $140/hour.
👉 Example of Rate Justification:
“According to EPM Scientific, freelance medical writers in the U.S. charge $125–$155/hour, and EFA benchmarks align at $82.50–$110/hour. Additionally, 22% of freelancers charge over $100/hour (ATFW), reflecting market trends. Given my experience and expertise, my new rate of $140/hour is competitive and ensures quality work.”
How to Choose the Right Pricing Model for Medical Writing
Over the years, I’ve experimented with different approaches, and I can tell you this: there’s no one-size-fits-all pricing model and you will probably end up with different models based on various projects. But there are some models that work better than others.
Here’s what I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way!) about different ways to charge.
👉 If you’re unsure where to start, project-based pricing is the safest bet: it values expertise and results over time spent.
Choosing the Right Pricing Model for Medical Writing:
| Pricing Model | Best For | Pros | Cons | Red Flags & Considerations |
| ✅ Project-Based Pricing (Most Recommended for Medical Writing) | Well-scoped projects with clear deliverables (e.g., white papers, CME content, blog series). | ✅ You charge for the value of the work, not just time spent. ✅ Easier to scale income as you become more efficient. ✅ Less micromanagement from clients. | ❌ If scope isn’t clearly defined, you risk scope creep (extra work for no extra pay). ❌ Requires careful estimation to ensure profitability. | 🔴 Always set clear scope boundaries to prevent unpaid extra work. 🔴 If a client hesitates to agree on a fixed scope, they may not have a clear vision for the project. |
| ✅ Retainer Agreements (Best for Stability & Predictability) | Ongoing work with predictable deliverables (e.g., monthly content, regular blog posts, newsletters). | ✅ Steady, predictable income. ✅ Fewer clients to manage = more stability. ✅ Easier to plan workload and cash flow. | ❌ Can lead to clients demanding more work than agreed upon. ❌ Harder to increase rates over time without renegotiating the contract. | 🔴 Only offer retainers once trust is established with a client. 🔴 Define clear deliverables and boundaries (e.g., “X blog posts per month,” not just “ongoing writing”). |
| ✅ Day Rate (Useful for Agency Work, Less Common Elsewhere) | Agency work, projects where a full day’s focus is expected. | ✅ Predictable for both freelancer and client. ✅ Simple and transparent pricing. | ❌ Less control over how much work is expected within the day. ❌ Harder to apply when work is spread out over multiple days. | 🔴 Be clear about what a “day” includes—number of hours, meetings, revisions, etc. 🔴 If a client asks for discounts on day rates, they may not fully value your expertise. |
| ⚠ Hourly Rate (Only in Specific Situations) | Small, ongoing tasks (e.g., 2–3 hours per week for a regular client), consulting work. | ✅ Paid for all time worked. ✅ Good for tasks with uncertain scope. | ❌ You earn less if you work efficiently. ❌ Clients may track time too closely, leading to micromanagement. | 🔴 Some clients prefer hourly to control costs at the freelancer’s expense. 🔴 If the project takes longer than expected, the client may not be happy with the final cost. |
| ❌ Per Word Rate (Rarely Recommended in Medical Writing) | Journalism, regulatory projects (rare in medical writing). | ✅ Simple pricing structure. ✅ Predictable for clients. | ❌ Doesn’t reflect research time, revisions, or strategic input. ❌ Can undervalue expertise, especially in technical medical writing. | 🔴 Per-word pricing is often used by low-budget clients who don’t recognize the value beyond word count. 🔴 Be cautious with revisions—are they included in the rate or extra? |
How to Negotiate Rates & Handle Pricing Objections
Here are some examples of scripts you can steal from me if you end up in these situations with your prospects or clients:
🔹 Scenario 1: Confidently handling pricing objections: Stay firm while offering some options when possible.
🗣️ Client: “Can you lower your rate?”
✅ Response: “Rather than lowering my rate, I’d be happy to tailor the project scope to better align with your budget. For example, we could reduce the number of revisions or streamline the deliverables.”
🔹 Scenario 1: Transitioning from hourly to project-based pricing: Frame it as a benefit to them.
🗣️ Client: “What’s your hourly rate for this project?”
✅ Freelancer: “For this type of work, I actually charge a flat project fee based on the scope and deliverables. That way, you know the total cost upfront, you won’t have any surprises, and I can focus on producing high-quality work without watching the clock. You won’t have to worry about how many hours something takes, just that the final product meets your needs.”
Final Thoughts & Next Steps: Get a Better Idea of How Much You Should Charge Clients
Pricing your freelance medical writing services can feel overwhelming as it’s an individual calculation, but you don’t have to guess everything. Here’s a simple way to start:
1️. Check industry benchmarks: Use data from EFA, EMWA, EPM Scientific, and ATFW to see what other freelancers charge.
2️. Consider your expertise: Specialised areas like regulatory writing or pharma copywriting tend to pay more than general content.
3️. Factor in your costs: Your rate needs to cover taxes, software, insurance, and unpaid admin time.
4️. Pick a pricing model: Project-based pricing often works best, but retainers can provide steady income.
5️. Test & adjust: Start with a reasonable rate based on research, then increase it as you gain experience and demand grows.
Your next steps:
🔹 Stay updated: Join my newsletter for tips, rate guides, and freelance writing resources.
🔹 Find support: Become a member of MedWrite for extra tips and templates.
If you’re new to freelancing and feel a bit lost, you may find these guides useful to figure out how to get started:
- How to build a medical writing portfolio from scratch
- How to break into medical writing:
- Whether you should find a niche in medical writing or not
FAQs About Setting Your Freelance Medical Writing Rates
How much do freelance medical writers charge?
Rates vary based on experience, niche, and project type. According to industry benchmarks:
- The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) reports rates of $70–$110 per hour for medical writing.
- The European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) found a median freelance rate of €80–€95 per hour in its latest survey.
- The EPM Scientific Salary Guide shows freelance medical writers in the US charging $125–$155 per hour.
Should you list your rates publicly?
Some freelancers openly share their rates, while others prefer to keep them private. My approach? My rates are generally in line with or slightly above the industry benchmarks noted in this piece, but they vary depending on the project scope, client type, and other factors.
This keeps my pricing competitive while allowing me to adjust based on the specifics of each project. If you’re unsure about listing your rates, consider sharing a range rather than a fixed number (e.g., “starting from £XX per project”).
Some writers like Rebecca post example prices on their website: this is called sample pricing. It shows clients what kind of work you offer and how much it might cost. You don’t have to list exact rates, but even a price range can help.
For example:
| Package | What’s Included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Blog Post | Up to 800 words + 1 revision | £X |
| In-Depth Article | 1,200–1,500 words + 2 revisions | £Y |
| White Paper | 2,000+ words + research + edits | £Z |
One client told Rebecca that this helped them decide to contact her. So even sharing a little bit about your rates can make a big difference!
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