Editing Rate Per Hour Calculator

Work out editing rate per hour instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Editing Rate Per Hour Calculator

Editing throughput falls sharply with depth: proofreading manages about 2500 words an hour, copy editing 1500, line editing 900 and developmental editing 500. Eight thousand words of copy editing is 5.33 hours, so at 40 an hour the cost is 213 - about 0.027 per word, which is how per-word quotes are derived.

Formulas

Hours required

hours = word count / words per hour for the level

Cost

cost = hours x hourly rate

Worked example

With the default values below, Editing Rate Per Hour Calculator returns Editing Hours Required of 5.33. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Words to editminimum 0: 8,000
Level of editingone of Proofreading (2500 words/h), Copy editing (1500 words/h), Line editing (900 words/h), Developmental editing (500 words/h): Copy editing (1500 words/h)
Hourly rateminimum 0: 40

Results

Editing Hours Required: 5.33 h
Total Cost: $213.33
Throughput At That Level: 1,500 words/h
Cost Per Word: $0.0267

Step by step

1Values used
2Hours required
3Cost
4Editing Hours Required= 5.33 h
5Total Cost= 213.33
6Throughput At That Level= 1,500 words/h
7Cost Per Word= 0.0267

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between proofreading and copy editing?

Proofreading catches errors in near-final text. Copy editing also fixes grammar, consistency and clarity, which is why it takes almost twice as long.

Should I quote hourly or per word?

Per word gives clients certainty and rewards efficiency, but only works when the manuscript quality is known. Hourly protects against unexpectedly poor text.