Content Budget Calculator: Cost per Blog Post
A 1,312-word blog post from a freelance writer costs about $370–$640 with copyediting at the EFA's 2026 US median rates, or $1,470–$2,570 a month for 4 posts. Enter your own plan and rates to compare per-word, hourly and agency pricing, including editing, refreshes and promotion.
Your results
Freelance writer, per word: 4 new posts a month of 1,312 words. Low to high rates.
Cost per post
$370–$640
Monthly budget
$1,470–$2,570
Annual budget
$17,600–$30,900
Per word, per hour and agency pricing compared
| Pricing model | Per post | Per month | Per year | Per 1,000 words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance writer, per word(selected) | Per post$370–$640 | Per month$1,470–$2,570 | Per year$17,600–$30,900 | Per 1,000 words$280–$490 |
| Writer's time, per hour | Per post$290–$340 | Per month$1,150–$1,380 | Per year$13,800–$16,500 | Per 1,000 words$220–$260 |
| Agency, per post | Choose “Agency quote” and enter a price to compare. | |||
Why the hourly figure can be lower: it prices only the average writing time Orbit Media's respondents report. It leaves out research, interviews, revisions and expertise, which professional per-word rates usually include.
Your inputs are stored in the link itself, after the #. They aren't sent to our server.
Data as of Orbit Media's 2026 blogging survey (published 8 September 2026) and the EFA rate chart (survey November 2025 to mid-January 2026). Checked 29 September 2026.
How this is calculated
Everything is calculated in your browser. Each cost is worked out twice, at the low and the high rate, so the results are ranges.
Cost per post
- Per word = words × rate per word + words × copyediting rate + images + research hours × hourly rate
- Per hour = writing hours × hourly rate + words × copyediting rate + images + research hours × hourly rate
- Agency = the agency's price per post + images, if the quote doesn't include them
With copyediting switched off, its rate counts as zero.
Budget
- Monthly = posts per month × cost per post + refreshes per month × refresh cost (% of a new post) × cost per post + promotion
- Annual = 12 × monthly
- Cost per 1,000 words = cost per post ÷ words × 1,000
Goal mode
- Posts needed = target extra clicks per month ÷ your median monthly clicks per mature post, rounded up
- Cost to reach the goal = posts needed × cost per post
- Months to publish = posts needed ÷ posts per month
- First-year cost per organic click = cost per post ÷ (12 × your median monthly clicks per post)
Totals are rounded to the nearest 10 (or 100 from 10,000 up). Rates and cost per click keep two decimals.
Worked example (the default inputs)
- Per word: 1,312 × $0.25–$0.45, plus 1,312 × $0.03–$0.04 editing = $367–$643 per post, $1,470–$2,570 a month for 4 posts and $17,600–$30,900 a year.
- Per hour, for comparison: 3⅓ hours (3 h 20 min) × $74.50–$87.50, plus the same editing = $288–$344 per post, or $1,150–$1,380 a month.
- The difference: the hourly figure prices only the average writing time Orbit Media's respondents report. It leaves out research, interviews, revisions and expertise, which per-word professional rates usually include.
Assumptions & sources
| Constant | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| ConstantAverage time to write one blog post | Value3 h 20 min | SourceOrbit Media, “2026 Blogging Statistics”1,042 content marketers | As of
|
| ConstantAverage blog post length | Value1,312 words | SourceOrbit Media, “2026 Blogging Statistics”1,042 content marketers | As of
|
| ConstantFreelance rate for work-for-hire blog posts, per word (median range)The EFA “neither sets rates nor advises members on what rates … to use”. US editorial-freelancer medians. | Value
| SourceEditorial Freelancers Association, “Editorial Rates”Median rate ranges from a survey of members, over 1,100 respondents | As of
|
| ConstantFreelance rate for work-for-hire blog posts, per hour (median range)The EFA “neither sets rates nor advises members on what rates … to use”. US editorial-freelancer medians. | Value
| SourceEditorial Freelancers Association, “Editorial Rates”Median rate ranges from a survey of members, over 1,100 respondents | As of
|
| ConstantNonfiction copyediting rate, per word (median range)The EFA “neither sets rates nor advises members on what rates … to use”. US editorial-freelancer medians. | Value
| SourceEditorial Freelancers Association, “Editorial Rates”Median rate ranges from a survey of members, over 1,100 respondents | As of
|
| ConstantPages in Ahrefs' index that get zero traffic from GoogleWhy the goal mode has no default clicks per post: an “average post” benchmark would mislead. | Value96.55% | SourceAhrefs, search traffic studyAbout 14 billion pages | As of
|
The rates are US medians.The EFA “neither sets rates nor advises members on what rates … to use”. Its chart reports median ranges from a survey of members, with over 1,100 respondents. In pounds mode the dollar rates are not filled in or converted: enter your own UK rates.
Writing time is exact.Orbit Media reports “3 hours, 20 minutes”, so the calculator uses 3⅓ hours, not 3.33. It's the average respondents report, not what an expert or research-heavy post needs.
Examples, not benchmarks: 4 posts a month, the 40% refresh cost, and zero for images, research hours, refreshes and promotion. Replace them with your own figures.
Why goal mode has no default clicks per post. Across about 14 billion pages, Ahrefs found that 96.55% get no traffic from Google. An “average post” figure would mislead, so the calculator uses your own Search Console median.
Limits of this estimate
- The rates are US editorial-freelancer medians (EFA 2026). UK and other markets differ. In GBP mode, enter your own rates.
- Writing time is the average survey respondents report, not what a subject-matter expert or a research-heavy post needs.
- Most posts earn little search traffic. Plan with your own GSC data, not a benchmark.
- Excludes strategy retainers, tools and distribution beyond the promotion budget you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a blog post cost in 2026?
At the Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 median rates for US work-for-hire blog posts (25¢–45¢ a word), a 1,312-word post, the average length in Orbit Media's 2026 survey, costs about $328–$590 to write. Copyediting at 3¢–4¢ a word brings it to about $367–$643. Your own writer's rates, post length and extras decide the real figure.
Is it cheaper to pay a writer per word or per hour?
On the 2026 benchmarks, hourly pricing looks cheaper: 3 h 20 min of writing at $74.50–$87.50 an hour, plus copyediting, comes to about $288–$344 a post, against $367–$643 per word. But the hourly figure covers only the average writing time Orbit Media's respondents report. It leaves out research, interviews, revisions and expertise, which per-word rates usually include.
How much should I budget for content marketing each month?
Multiply your cost per post by the posts you publish, add the cost of refreshing old posts, and add any promotion budget. With the defaults here, 4 new posts a month at per-word rates cost about $1,470–$2,570 a month, or $17,600–$30,900 a year. The budget excludes strategy retainers and tools.
What does a content agency charge per blog post?
Agency prices depend on what the quote includes, such as strategy, research, editing, design and promotion, so this calculator has no agency benchmark. Enter the quotes you receive, and the results compare them with per-word and hourly pricing for the same plan.
How many blog posts do I need to hit a traffic goal?
Divide the extra organic clicks you want each month by your median monthly clicks per mature post, and round up. Take the median from your own Google Search Console data, not a benchmark: Ahrefs found that 96.55% of the pages in its index get no traffic from Google.
Do these rates apply in the UK?
No. The default rates are US editorial-freelancer medians from the EFA, and UK and other markets differ. In pounds mode the calculator leaves the rate fields blank rather than converting dollars, so you can enter your own UK rates. Word counts and writing time apply in both currencies.
By Malhar Shah, Founder & SEO Strategist at Vidern. Updated .