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NUJ Rate for the Job:
Shifts / mags
Updated: 2025-07-09
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.
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Writing and editing work for magazines, paid by the day or the hour. Mostly sub-editing: checking and proofreading copy and making it fit the house style and design. (Actual publication/programme names appear before publishers and generic rates. If you are interested, the archived rates are here. | ||||||
Tell us what you've been paid for Shifts / mags |
Freelance Fees Guide
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| Publication / Programme - details & terms | Group | Year |  |
Total paid | GR |
XXXX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa Confidential unspecified day (writing? editing?) | 2019 |  |
185.00 | |||
| Africa Confidential subbing day | 2017 | |
160.00 | |||
| Africa Confidential subbing day | 2016 | |
150.00 | |||
| Attitude subbing day | 2017 | |
130.00 | GR | ||
| BBC Countryside magazine 8-hour shift including 1-hour lunch break (for entry-level journalist) | _BBC | 2015 | |
100.00 | XX | |
| BBC Future editing day (8 hours) | _BBC | 2019 | |
180.00 | ||
| Best Practice In Nursing day reporting a conference, travel and accommodation covered | 2016 | |
175.00 | |||
| Betting Business International day shift of unspecified activity | _Ziff | 2016 | |
65.00 | XXXX | |
| Boat International subbing day 9.30-6 | 2018 | |
150.00 | |||
| Boat International 7-hour subbing day | 2016 | |
140.00 | GR | ||
| Brides 8 hours - work unspecified | _CondN | 2016 | |
120.00 | GR | XX |
| Bustle UK reporting day, around 4 pieces (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 |  |
135.00 | |||
| Cassari (what?) live interview per hour | 2015 | |
120.00 | |||
| Chemistry+Industry magazine managing book reviews section: requesting books, assigning reviewers, chasing and editing reviews | 2022 | |
435.00 | O | ||
| Culture Whisper unspecified day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
165.00 | |||
| English Language Gazette specialist reporting day, with Twitter and Facebook feeds | 2019 | |
150.00 | |||
| English Language Gazette very specialised reporting (hours negotiated up for busy month) per hour | 2019 | |
21.14 | |||
| English Language Gazette Specialist reporting day | 2018 | |
150.00 | X | ||
| English Language Gazette Reporting day, specialist | 2018 | |
250.00 | |||
| GMB Magazine editing, day, 7 hours | _Future | 2014 | |
140.00 | ||
| GMB Magazine editing, day, 7 hours | _Future | 2014 | |
140.00 | ||
| GQ subbing day | _CondN | 2015 | |
125.00 | ||
| Harrods Magazine Subbing shift 9:00 to 5:30 | 2017 | |
150.00 | GR | O | |
| Hello! 7-hour subbing day | _Hola | 2016 | |
152.00 | GR | |
| House and Garden subbing day (7 hrs) taxed at source; paid time off on top | _CondN | 2017 | |
130.00 | ||
| Imbibe (Monomax) editing day | 2014 | |
150.00 | |||
| In Style subbing day + holiday pay | _IPC | 2014 | |
130.00 | X | |
| In Style subbing day + holiday pay | _IPC | 2014 | |
130.00 | X | |
| Left Foot Forward reporting day (1000 words in two news stories plus edits of two plus social media, newsletter editing etc) (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
90.00 | XXX | ||
| London Lines editing day | 2014 | |
250.00 | |||
| Men's Fitness subbing day | _Dennis | 2015 | |
135.00 | ||
| Metropolitan subbing day | _Ink | 2017 | |
150.00 | ||
| Mobile Choice editing, day, 7 hours | 2014 | |
130.00 | |||
| Mobile Choice editing, day, 7 hours | 2014 | |
130.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert writing/editing day | 2019 | |
170.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert Writing and editing day | 2018 | |
170.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert editing or news reporting day | 2018 | |
160.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert 7.5-hour day of unspecified work - | 2018 | |
160.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert reporting day (7.5 hrs) | 2017 | |
150.00 | |||
| Money Saving Expert reporting day (7 hours) | 2017 | |
150.00 | |||
| Money Week editing/writing day | 2014 | |
250.00 | |||
| Mortgage Solutions reporting day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
260.00 | |||
| N magazine (Norwegian airlines inflight magazine) subbing day 09.30-18:00 | _Ink | 2016 | |
140.00 | GR | |
| Nature Subbing day | _SpringV | 2017 | |
205.80 | GR | |
| Nature per day, work not specified | _Holtzb | 2015 | |
200.00 | ||
| New Scientist editing day - | 2020 | |
175.00 | |||
| New Scientist editing day | 2020 | |
175.00 | GR | ||
| New Scientist editing day with coding | 2019 | |
175.00 | GR | ||
| New Statesman subbing day | _Progres | 2017 | |
160.00 | GR | |
| NME news half day (4 hours) minimum 6 articles (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
45.00 | XXXX | ||
| NME Subbing day | _AOLTW | 2017 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| NME subbing day | _IPC | 2015 | |
110.00 | X | |
| Nursing Standard news reporting day | 2016 | |
154.80 | |||
| Pink News 9-hour day of unspecified work - | 2018 | |
100.00 | XXX | ||
| Private Eye subbing day (7 hrs) not taxed at source | __misc | 2017 | |
200.00 | ||
| Radio Times subbing day | _Immed | 2017 | |
120.00 | XXX | |
| Radio Times subbing day | _Immed | 2017 | |
120.00 | XXX | |
| Red Bulletin 7 hours (subbing or reporting?) | 2016 | |
150.00 | |||
| ReNews reporting day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 |  |
150.00 | |||
| Retail Week subbing shift 9:30 to 5:30 | _EMAP | 2017 | |
160.00 | GR | O |
| Royal Wings (Royal Jordanian Airways inflight) (produced by Spafax) subbing day 9am-5pm | 2014 | |
130.00 | GR | ||
| Royal Wings (Royal Jordanian Airways inflight) (produced by Spafax) subbing day 9am-5pm | 2014 | |
130.00 | GR | ||
| Sainsbury's magazine subbing day | 2017 | |
130.00 | XX | ||
| Sainsbury's magazine subbing day, 7 hours | 2016 | |
150.00 | |||
| Schools Week Subbing day | 2018 | |
150.00 | |||
| Shots magazine (Media Business Insight) subbing day 09:30-18:00 | 2016 | |
160.00 | GR | ||
| Soaplife subbing day | _IPC | 2015 | |
120.00 | GR | XXX |
| Telegraph magazines subbing day (plus holiday pay) | 2020 | |
150.00 | XX | ||
| Telegraph supplement chief sub, per day (plus holiday pay) | 2020 | |
160.00 | XX | ||
| The Diplomat 10 hour (subbing?) day - | 2020 | |
140.00 | |||
| The Diplomat 10 hour (subbing?) day | 2020 | |
140.00 | |||
| The Green Parent day shift of unspecified activity | __misc | 2014 | |
75.00 | X | |
| The Grocer newsdesk day | _WReed | 2016 | |
160.00 | ||
| The Week Junior subbing day 9.30-5.30 | _Dennis | 2018 | |
145.00 | ||
| Third Age Matters day and 1/4 it says here... | 2018 | |
200.00 | |||
| Third Age Matters writing day | 2018 | |
160.00 | |||
| Third Age Matters day of unspecified work | 2018 | |
160.00 | |||
| Third Age Matters (University of the Third Age) day (writing?) | 2017 | |
200.00 | |||
| Time Out London writing shift, 9-hour day (1 hour for lunch) | _TOut | 2024 | |
130.00 | X | |
| Time Out London writing shift, 9-hour day (1 hour for lunch) | _TOut | 2024 | |
130.00 | X | |
| Times Educational Supplement subbing day, 8 hours Monday to Friday, gross rate | _TSL | 2014 | |
150.00 | ||
| Times Literary Supplement Picture editing day | _TSL | 2018 | |
150.00 | ||
| Top Gear 7-hour subbing day | _Immed | 2015 | |
120.00 | X | |
| Vice senior creative day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
500.00 | |||
| Vogue online chief-sub day, regular hours 10am-6pm - | _CondN | 2018 | |
130.00 | GR | XX |
| Waitrose Magazine copywriter/sub-editor hybrid | 2022 | |
170.00 | GR | ||
| Webuser subbing day or production day | _Dennis | 2016 | |
130.00 | X | |
| WI Life subbing day 9am to 4pm | 2017 | |
180.00 | O | ||
| Woman's Own Subbing shift 9:00 to 5:30 | _AOLTW | 2017 | |
120.00 | GR | XX |
| Woman subbing day | _IPC | 2017 | |
120.00 | XXX | |
| World of Interiors subbing day (7 hrs) taxed at source; paid time off on top | _CondN | 2017 | |
135.00 | ||
| AIM Group business intelligence services on Twitter seeks high-level German-speaking freelance - per hour | 2023 | |
40.00 | |||
| BBC Trust 3 days | _BBC | 2014 | |
1000.00 | ||
| BBC Trust 3 days | _BBC | 2014 | |
1000.00 | ||
| Cedar communications subbing day (7 hours) | _Cedar | 2014 | |
130.00 | ||
| Cedar communications subbing day (7 hours) | _Cedar | 2014 | |
130.00 | ||
| Children's magazines per day design for layout, cover mount gifts, polybags etc, pre press | _Immed | 2016 | |
130.00 | GR | X |
| Construction trade publication attending and reporting on virtual conference (3000w) + editing background info (5000w); per day | 2022 | |
330.00 | |||
| Consumer magazine (unnamed) day shift 7 hours | 2023 | |
120.00 | GR | XXX | |
| Contract-publisher magazines subbing and/or writing days not taxed at source | 2014 | |
120.00 | |||
| Contract-publisher magazines subbing and/or writing days not taxed at source | 2014 | |
120.00 | |||
| Full-time intern per month | 2020 | |
1450.00 | |||
| Haymarket 8-hour subbing day | _HM | 2015 | |
140.00 | ||
| Leeds University alumni mag research day | 2014 | |
180.00 | |||
| Pre-School magazines (various licensed to well-known brands) design, layout and pre-press delivery of a 36-page pre-school magazine. - (self-employed via a third-party outsourcer) | _Score | 2022 | |
1400.00 | ||
| Progressive Customer Publishing subbing day, 8 hours Monday to Friday, gross rate | 2014 | |
140.00 | GR | ||
| Science publisher Editing 500 pages | 2017 | |
2000.00 | |||
| SGT (?) 28-page magazine | 2014 | |
3000.00 | |||
| SGT (?) 28-page magazine | 2014 | |
3000.00 | |||
| Trade magazines subbing day | 2017 | |
150.00 | |||
| transcribing interviews per minute of interview (according to music journalists) - | 2018 | |
1.00 | GR | ||
| Unnamed magazine editing day | 2020 | |
225.00 | GR | ||
| Various design for print, layout, covermounts & marketing | 2017 | |
130.00 | GR | ||
| Virgin TV mag Subbing day 9.30am to 5.30pm | _Redwood | 2017 | |
160.00 | ||
| Women's magazines, various subbing day | _CondN | 2017 | |
130.00 | XX | |
| Youth & children's magazines (same rate on all titles) per day design for layout, cover mount gifts, polybags plus marketing design work including some digital | _Immed | 2016 | |
120.00 | GR | |
| 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 or or (US) | |
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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 |
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| 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 |
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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 |
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