NUJ Rate for the Job: recent rates for Shifts / other

Updated: 2025-11-18

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 / other Work paid by the day or the hour that's not for newspapers, magazines, books, PR or online publications. If you are interested, the archived rates are here.
Tell us what you've been paid for Shifts / other		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Total paid	GR	XXXX
Inside Housing reporting day	_Ocean	2020		160.00
History book research and fact checking day (for 3 months)		2020		120.00
IPSO (reported to journoresources.org.uk) panel member day		2025		400.00
Media tech training materials Day rate for writing training deck content - Work for hire	_Google	2021		400.00	GR	O
Music publishers proofreading per hour		2023		29.00
Music publishers proofreading liner notes, per 1000 words		2023		50.00
NGO copy editing - per day		2022		280.00
Private individual copy-editing academic writing, 15,000 words, around 24 hours work		2025		600.00
Research scientific writer day (via #FreelancerPayGap)		2020		300.00
Royal Horticultural Society adding content to a gardening app, per day up to		2022		120.00
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) advertisted on Twitter - day rate up to		2023		250.00
Society journal publisher editor US$3 per page = up to per day (via #FreelancerPayGap)		2020		300.00
Software design & development user experience (ux) consultant designer day up to (via #FreelancerPayGap)		2020		700.00
University 1/2 day every workday subbing mag copy and other stuff (approx 70 hours per month) 3000 Swiss Francs =		2021		2360.00		O
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
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 recent rates:

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Freelance Fees Guide home page

Joining the NUJ and getting a Press Card