The hourly pay rates represent the rates a professional self-employed editor in Australia needs to charge to ensure a sustainable, long-term business.

Editors’ pay rates

Fair hourly pay rates: self-employed editors

IPEd has developed the fair hourly pay rates below to provide guidance to self-employed editors and their clients.

The fair hourly pay rates represent the rates a professional self-employed editor in Australia needs to charge to ensure a sustainable, long-term business. The rates are roughly equivalent for self-employed editors in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Level of experience	Hourly pay rate
Less than 2 years’ editing experience	$70–$90/h
Professional member, established editor	$100–$150/h
Editor with extensive or specialised experience	From $150/h

Notes: These rates exclude goods and services tax (GST). Editors registered for GST in Australia are required to charge 10% GST. Editors registered for GST in New Zealand are required to charge 15% GST. Rates updated July 2025.

What these pay rates represent

These rates are based on the following principles:

The hourly pay rates support a self-employed editor to have a sustainable, long-term business, recognising the cost of professional development, attained skill levels, and other business expenses.
The hourly pay rates are comparable to total employee salaries of editing and related positions that require similar skills and experience, and provide similar benefits, such as superannuation, sick leave and annual leave.
The hourly pay rates recognise work time, non-billable business time and the expenses of running a small business.
The hourly pay rates are reviewed regularly (at least annually) and updated if required, aiming to round to whole dollars, and preferably to the nearest $5.

Using the hourly pay rates

An hourly pay rate on its own is not a guide to the total cost of an editing job. Editors have different experience and work at different speeds, and have complete independence to charge higher or lower hourly rates.
Price is a business negotiation between the client and editor. Each job is different and the price is influenced by various factors, such as the editing work required, the urgency, the subject, the format, the publishing sector and the experience of the editor.
The price of a job reflects both pay rates and work rates (the speed of editing work).
The pay rates are based on principles such as operating a self-employed business for the long term, recognising the skills and experience of editors, and recognising the economic value added by editors.
The pay rates are for self-employed editors running a business with many clients. They may not be appropriate for editors employed casually or on regular contract arrangements, where rates may include superannuation or loadings for some types of leave, or for regular editing work.

More information

Fair pay rates, not recommended pay rates

Due to the diversity of editors, clients and editing work, these rates are not recommended rates but reflect a range of fair rates of pay based on the principles and assumptions presented.

Members: For more detailed information, log in to the Member Portal and go to Resources for editors > Pay rates, self-employed editors. Editors in both Australia and New Zealand can use this information as a guide.

Editors may charge higher or lower hourly rates. Price is a business negotiation between the client and editor based on a range of factors.

For members who are employee editors, more information is also included in the Member Portal.

Reasons these pay rates vary

The three ranges of hourly pay rates recognise the diversity of editors, clients and editing work across Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand.

Different hourly pay rates are not given for different types of editing. Some editors may charge different amounts for different types of work, but overall these rates reflect fair rates of pay for the skills and experience of different types of self-employed editors running a professional business. The work rate, or how much editing can be achieved in a specific time, varies by the type of editing and the experience of the editor.

Types of editing are explained here and in the IPEd standards for editing practice.

Editors and clients can present prices in different ways

Editors may prefer not to state the hourly rates they charge, but provide an estimate or quote for the total job or for each stage of a job based on the agreed requirements. Editors may have different ways of presenting prices, such as a price per word or 1000 words, per page or per job.
Some clients may offer a total price for an editing job. Editors may consider, based on the work required, whether the client’s budget is appropriate, and accept it, or negotiate the scope of work and/or budget.

How to get a fair price for a job

IPEd provides information on how to brief an editor here.
IPEd has developed a great resource for editors to provide to clients – Working with self-employed editors: A guide for clients. The guide sets out some basic principles, both professional and ethical, so you can approach the project with a clear understanding of what is required and build a strong working relationship from the start.
A fair price reflects many factors, including the level of editing required, the skills and experience of the editor, the audience and the editing brief. Clients are encouraged to be realistic in their expectations of what an editor can achieve in the time allowed and budgeted for. Not every editorial issue can be resolved in a single review of a document.

Charging GST in Australia

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) requires a business to register for the goods and services tax (GST) when the business or enterprise has a GST turnover (gross income from all businesses minus GST) of $75,000 or more (the GST threshold) or when you start a new business and expect your turnover to reach the GST threshold (or more) in the first year of operation. Business owners with GST turnover below the GST threshold of $75,000 can still register for GST.
A GST-registered business is not required to charge GST if the recipient of the services is located outside Australia.
A business must be registered for GST to charge GST. Clients can check if a business with an Australian Business Number (ABN) is registered to charge GST at ABN Lookup, the public view of the Australian Business Register: www.abr.business.gov.au.

More information: From the Australian Taxation Office, Explaining goods and services tax

Charging GST in Aotearoa New Zealand

A business must register for GST if its turnover was at least $60,000 in any 12-month period (not just in a financial year), or it expects it will be at least $60,000 in the next 12-month period.
A business can still register for GST if its turnover is less than $60,000.

More information: From Inland Revenue Te Tari Taake, Registering for GST

Charging GST to overseas clients

If you are registered for GST in Aotearoa New Zealand and you invoice clients who are based overseas, you still need to charge GST, but you charge it at 0% and include those sales in your GST returns.

More information: From Inland Revenue Te Tari Taake, Zero-rated supplies; from Hnry, What is GST, and how does it work?

Providing an Australian Business Number (ABN)

The ATO requires self-employed contractors to have an ABN in order to invoice for services without requiring tax to be deducted. If an Australian editor does not have an ABN the client may be required to deduct tax at the highest rate and pay that tax to the ATO.

More information: From the Australian Business Register, ABN Important Facts

Providing a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)

If a business operates as a company, it needs an NZBN; one is assigned when registering a company.
Businesses operating as a sole trader do not need an NZBN, but it can be useful.
The NZBN stores key business information (such as trading name and contact details). It can be shared with other businesses, organisations and government agencies.

More information: From New Zealand Business Number, NZBN benefits for business