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The 2016 Pro Copywriters survey presents our findings from an anonymised online survey of 610 copywriters, conducted in December 2015–January 2016.

We believe it’s the largest and most comprehensive survey of the copywriting industry to date.

Key findings

• An average gender pay gap of 28% between male and female copywriters, varying with type of employment
• An average freelance daily rate of £337, but with wide regional variations (London £426, Scotland £254)
• Wide variations in what copywriters earn on average, from agency founders on £57k to in-house writers on £31k
• Freelance copywriters much prefer per-project fees (55%) over per-word fees (2%)
• Over 95% of copywriters do other marketing tasks as well as copywriting
• 70% of copywriters value employer/client feedback most, while just 2% value industry awards
• Copywriters love copywriting! Just 2% want to change careers.

The survey also covers many other areas, including regional variations in earnings, specialisations, approaches to freelancing, types of recognition and aspirations for the future.

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