NUJ Rate for the Job:
Shifts / other
Updated: 2021-04-09
These rates have been reported by members of the National Union of Journalists and others, and printed in the Freelance, newsletter of London Freelance Branch. They are sorted by publisher/publication, then by date (most recent first). TIP: Use the "Find in page" command under your browser's "Edit" or "Search" menu to be sure of finding all occurrences of a publication/publisher. AND do note the year in which the rate was reported! See also the Freelance Fees Guide, which gives general recommendations. And read the disclaimer and the key to exactly what the entries mean.
Work paid by the day or the hour that's not for newspapers, magazines, books, PR or online publications. | ||||||
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Publication / Programme - details & terms | Group | Year | ![]() |
Total paid | GR |
XXXX |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IDS Pay Report writing/research day | _Reuter | 2012 | ![]() |
100.00 | XX | |
Inside Housing reporting day | _Ocean | 2020 | ![]() |
160.00 | ||
Water Resources (NGO publishing) photography, video, reporting day | 2012 | ![]() |
350.00 | O | ||
Absolute Picture Agency | 1998 | ![]() |
100.00 | |||
Ad agency picture research, per hour | 2001 | ![]() |
20.00 | |||
Anonymous commercial research/report, per day | 1996 | ![]() |
350.00 | |||
Audit Commission subbing day | 1994 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
BBC research day | _BBC | 1996 | ![]() |
100.00 | X | |
BBC Business 8-hour editing day (+ holiday pay) | _BBC | 2015 | ![]() |
140.00 | ||
BBC in-house newsletter negotiated contract per day | _BBC | 2000 | ![]() |
220.00 | ||
BBC in-house newsletter writing/editing day | _BBC | 1999 | ![]() |
220.00 | ||
BBC Wales researcher day (9 hours) | _BBC | 2015 | ![]() |
106.00 | GR | XXX |
BBC World Service Newsletter write/edit (ed all of it?!) | _BBC | 1996 | ![]() |
200.00 | ?X | |
Business research firm proofreading day | 2013 | ![]() |
160.00 | |||
Care International (charity) 2.5 days report writing | 2006 | ![]() |
400.00 | |||
Central School of Speech and Drama Production day | 1997 | ![]() |
120.00 | |||
Centre for British Teachers advice on editorial matters, per day | 2002 | ![]() |
350.00 | |||
Christian Aid research | 2003 | ![]() |
120.00 | |||
Christian Aid day | 2001 | ![]() |
120.00 | |||
Collecting Society day consultancy/research on media issues | 2011 | ![]() |
300.00 | |||
Communications International writing/subbing | _EMAP | 2000 | ![]() |
65.00 | X | |
Consultancy on media strategy - FTSE 100 company per day | 2007 | ![]() |
600.00 | |||
Contract publisher copy-editing, EUR60 per hour implies day rate of | 2011 | ![]() |
420.00 | |||
Corporate client editing intranet, per 7-hour day | 2012 | ![]() |
56.00 | XXX | ||
Corporate writing (Brussels) hour | 2007 | ![]() |
75.00 | |||
Corporate writing day | 2007 | ![]() |
400.00 | |||
Corporate writing / consutancy day | 2007 | ![]() |
500.00 | |||
Cultural consultancy music journalists interviewed to extract expert views; per day | 2012 | ![]() |
500.00 | |||
Cultural consultancy music journalists interviewed to extract expert views; per day | 2012 | ![]() |
1000.00 | O | ||
Cultural consultancy music journalists interviewed to extract expert views; two hours at their place | 2012 | ![]() |
200.00 | O | ||
Department of Health Writing for newsletters, websites, reports, editing One year contract, 6 days a month plus expenses, not taxed at source | _HMG | 2010 | ![]() |
250.00 | ||
Disability charity day doing social media | 2019 | ![]() |
150.00 | X | ||
Discovery Channel Picture editing day (with some research) | 2018 | ![]() |
150.00 | GR | ||
Editorial Enterprises subbing day (member notes '!!') | 1993 | ![]() |
65.00 | X | ||
English Churches Housing Trust proofreading annual report, per hour | 2001 | ![]() |
15.00 | |||
European Commission rewriting day | 2005 | ![]() |
300.00 | O | ||
European NGO per day, work not specified | 2015 | ![]() |
300.00 | |||
European Union research/writing | 1996 | ![]() |
200.00 | X | ||
Food Standards Agency research/writing day | _HMG | 2002 | ![]() |
200.00 | ||
Forward (contract publishing) Subbing day | _Forward | 1998 | ![]() |
120.00 | ||
Fulcrum Productions Development research, week | 1999 | ![]() |
325.00 | |||
Help Age International copy editing day | 2008 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
History book research and fact checking day (for 3 months) | 2020 | ![]() |
120.00 | |||
History documentary series TV producing and directing day (10-17 hours!) PACT contract | 2017 | ![]() |
280.00 | |||
IMP picture research day | 1999 | ![]() |
115.00 | |||
International Federation of Building and Wood Workers poster design, per hour | _TU | 2001 | ![]() |
20.00 | O | |
International Labour Office subbing paid at 115 Swiss Francs per 1000 words = | 2013 | ![]() |
78.00 | |||
Joseph Rowntree Foundation subbing/writing | 1994 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
London College Of Fashion day teaching Getting Started As A Freelance | 2008 | ![]() |
316.48 | GR | O | |
M+S catalogue subbing day | _Axon | 2006 | ![]() |
150.00 | ||
MCP (eh?) subbing day | 1997 | ![]() |
60.00 | X | ||
Netherlands Union of Journalists recommended rate experienced freelances, per day (=£223) | 2003 | ![]() |
313.00 | |||
Netherlands Union of Journalists recommended rate very experienced freelances, per day (=£293) | 2003 | ![]() |
412.00 | |||
Netherlands Union of Journalists recommended rate beginner freelances, per day (=£171) | 2003 | ![]() |
240.00 | |||
OASIS evenings half-day subbing | 1996 | ![]() |
50.00 | |||
Patient Choice NHS booklet subbing in-house | 2006 | ![]() |
130.00 | GR | ||
PCS union writing and subbing day | _TU | 2010 | ![]() |
170.00 | ||
private job 4 hours' research | 2009 | ![]() |
100.00 | |||
RAI International television day (doing what?) excluding overtime | 2009 | ![]() |
120.00 | XX | ||
Ree Publishing subbing day | 1997 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
Research scientific writer day (via #FairDealForFreelancers) | 2020 | ![]() |
300.00 | |||
Rhinegild Publishing Subbing day | 1997 | ![]() |
100.00 | |||
Royal Mail picture research hour | 1999 | ![]() |
15.00 | |||
Royal Society Attend scientific discussion, per day | 2003 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
self-published editorial editorial, per day | 2014 | ![]() |
120.00 | X | ||
Small specialist publisher subbing copy, per piece (less than one day's work) | 2007 | ![]() |
200.00 | GR | ||
Society journal publisher editor US$3 per page = up to per day (via #FairDealForFreelancers) | 2020 | ![]() |
300.00 | |||
Software design & development user experience (ux) consultant designer day up to (via #FairDealForFreelancers) | 2020 | ![]() |
700.00 | |||
Spa Press subbing day | 1997 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
The Royal Society attend scientific meeting to do writeup, per day | 2003 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
UCL Medical School half-day shift, activity unspecified - | 2018 | ![]() |
150.00 | |||
United Nations proofreading documents from 3pm to 1am; offered to pay for a taxi home but fee still 'regrettably low' | 2014 | ![]() |
90.00 | XXXX | ||
United Nations proofreading documents from 3pm to 1am; offered to pay for a taxi home but fee still 'regrettably low' | 2014 | ![]() |
90.00 | XXXX | ||
unnamed BBC World Service programme production day (note house agreement rate for domestic BBC) | _BBC | 2020 | ![]() |
190.00 | ||
Various EMAP titles reporting day up to | 2020 | ![]() |
170.00 | |||
Victim Support annual report - editing/markup of 12pp | _HMG | 2003 | ![]() |
800.00 | ||
West London Leadership Writing/editing report, per day | 2002 | ![]() |
450.00 | O | ||
World Development Movement Editing charity report, per day | 2001 | ![]() |
120.00 | |||
World Vision (charity) 2 days copy-editing | 2006 | ![]() |
400.00 | O | ||
Key to the rates, by column: |
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1 Publication / Programme, any details of work and licence | ||||||
2 Owner at the time the rate was reported, where known | Group | |||||
3 The year in which the rate was reported | Year |
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4 Currency: either ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
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5 Amount paid (total of basic licence and extra licences for web use, database resale...) | Amount |
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7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it: | GR |
|||||
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement: | HA |
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8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor: | ![]() | 50.00 | X |
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or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised: | ![]() | 1500.00 | O |
Other rates:
Type of work: | In the "sector": (click or tap below!) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Words, per 1000 | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Words, other | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Photography | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Broadcasting | News | Local | Other including podcasting | ||||
Shifts | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Other: | Cartoons | Crosswords | Illustration | Punditry | Retainer | Teaching | Tip-off | Translation | ||||||
Recently reported rates | all from the past few months |



