NUJ Rate for the Job: Shifts / online

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.

Shifts / online Writing and editing work primarily for online-only use, paid by the day or the hour. In August 2012 we moved rates for online editions of newspapers and magazines into the 'news' or 'mags' listings. If you are interested, the archived rates are here.
Tell us what you've been paid for Shifts / online		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Total paid	GR	XXXX
220 Triathlon online production and writing shift, seven hours	_Kelsey	2025		140.00	GR
International Investment news reporting day - not taxed at source		2018		200.00		O
NME reporting day, 8 hours (4pm-12pm weekdays)	_Metro	2016		90.00		XXX
Scribol writing day, 5-8 hours, includes writing one story of 2000-2500 words; extrapolating a story from a source news item and copy and pasting text of all sourced material, plus URL, and basic coding - no tax, no paid lunch	_Ocean	2019		10.00		XXXX
The Culture Trip copy editing, per article regardless of length		2019		8.00		XXX
The Inquirer 4 news stories per day, min 300 words no expenses, syndicated where necessary across sister publications with no extra fee	_IncisiM	2016		50.00	GR	XXXX
Times online reporting day	_NI	2024		300.00
Vogue online per day working from home and logging on to the server to cover conferences and Fashion Week seasons (8am - 11pm) -	_CondN	2018		250.00
AFP video production news desk shift, news agency, 7 or 8 hrs including 30-minute break , - not taxed at source	_AFP	2025		200.00
An online music and culture publication day writing articles for online publication, 8 hrs, expectation to turn around average 6 articles or 3000 words.		2025		100.00		XX
Charity copywriting for website, per day		2023		350.00	GR
Charity per day		2022		250.00
Civil Service per day		2022		350.00		O
Corporate social media consultancy per hour		2017		150.00
Crash.net providing features, interviews, news articles, and audio files from a four-day F1 grand prix weekend, working 14/h per day for £300 for the weekend. No travel, food, hotel expenses covered, was left out of pocket. , prod/exes 0		2017		75.00		XXXX
Government per day (doing what?)	_HMG	2015		250.00	GR
HE (higher education?) website content generation, per hour		2015		25.00
Individual client writing/editing per hour		2014		32.00
Individual client writing/editing per hour		2014		32.00
International TV station 8 hours writing		2021		75.00		XXXX
LabourList.org (Labour Party) reporting and subbing day		2017		85.00		XX
Landscape Institute newsletter news stories, day shift from home	_LineOne	2017		250.00		O
NGO per day		2022		300.00	GR
NME subbing day or writing day on new online version, in office (less if work at home) (f IPC contract offered, read carefully!)	_IPC	2015		90.00		XXX
NME online 8am-4pm working at home	_IPC	2015		70.00		XXXX
NME online 4pm-midnight at home (weekends)	_IPC	2015		85.00		XXXX
Pub and B&B website per day for website design all rights in edited / created webcontent		2015		197.00
Specialist music website writing day		2014		180.00
Specialist music website writing day		2014		180.00
Touchcast Studios day producing/directing video , terms - holiday pay on top		2018		290.00
Tourism website editing day		2014		165.00
Tourism website editing day		2014		165.00
Trade news service reporting, news, some features per hour		2017		16.00
University editing website (online using content management system) per day		2023		400.00	GR	O
University per day - same rate paid for content strategy and actual editing (implementing) as part of consultancy package.		2014		250.00
University per day - same rate paid for content strategy and actual editing (implementing) as part of consultancy package.		2014		250.00
University department per day		2022		320.00
Unnamed website content generation, per hour		2015		30.00
Web-based news company based outside UK Reporting day		2024		150.00		X
Key to the rates, by column:
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
4 Currency: either or or (US)
5 Amount paid (total of basic licence and extra licences for web use, database resale...)				Amount
7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it:					GR
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement:					HA
8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor:				50.00		X
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised:				1500.00		O

Other rates:

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