Proofreading Rate Calculator
Not sure what to charge? Enter a few details and get a realistic price range for the job in seconds, then learn the full pricing formula inside the course.
An estimate to anchor your quote, not a rate card. Your real price depends on your own measured speed on your own screen, and on a sample of this document rather than its length, which is exactly what the course teaches you to work out. Always assess a sample before you quote.
Learn the full pricing formulaHow proofreading pricing actually works
A price that wins the job and pays you properly comes down to four things: the size of the space, how much work the visit involves, how often you visit, and your local market. Underprice and you work for free; overprice without a reason and you lose the bid. The skill is setting a number that covers your supplies, travel, and time, and still leaves a real profit.
- Lot size sets the baseline, because more ground is more time on the machine.
- Condition of the text changes the effort more than anything else: a heavily edited draft can take twice as long as a clean one of identical length.
- Frequency earns recurring clients a small discount in exchange for reliable, repeat income.
- Your market shifts everything up or down based on what people nearby will pay.
The Fundamentals course turns this into a simple formula you can apply to any job, plus a ready-to-use price list template so your rates look professional from day one.
Proofreading rate calculator FAQs
How much should I charge for proofreading?
Derive it from your own measured speed rather than from a published rate. Time yourself on a representative sample of the actual document, work out how many hours it implies, and multiply by the hourly rate you want to earn. Published per-word ranges are a sanity check on that number, not a substitute for working it out, and they vary widely by country and specialty.
Should I charge per word or per hour?
Quote the client a fixed price wherever you can, because it is what they can approve, and derive that price per hour behind the scenes from your own measured speed. Per-hour quoting transfers the risk of a slow day onto the client, which they will reasonably resist. The Fundamentals course covers when each makes sense.
Why does the calculator ask for the condition of the text?
Because it matters more than length. Two documents of identical word count routinely differ by a factor of two or three in the time they take, so a price derived from a word count alone is a guess. Assess a sample before quoting and price from what you find.
Is this proofreading rate calculator free?
Yes, it is completely free with no sign-up. For the complete pricing system, including how to assess a sample, present a quote, and raise rates without losing clients, see the courses.
