The median rates and ranges from the NASW survey are the best information our field has for what science writing is worth in today’s market. (Remember, too, that freelance writers are a steal for publishers, who pay nothing toward the writers’ insurance, retirement benefits, self-employment taxes, IT support, equipment, or overhead on home office spaces.) It can be easy to forget, but transforming complex concepts, discoveries, and scientific debates into engaging, readable, and accurate stories is a rare and valuable skill. Not only does doing so make it harder to claw your way up to better rates over time, but it also drags down the whole field’s pay rates. I don’t work for less than the median rate within a given marketplace because I feel doing so isn’t good for me or anyone else. For example, the 53 freelance writers who reported working regularly for the news sections of scientific journals reported that the median rate at such publications was $1.20 per word, and the range was $0.50–$2.00 per word.īased on these data, I draw a hard line in the sand for myself. The survey results, described at the NASW website (but available to members only), provide a useful starting point for any science writer considering taking on a freelance assignment. In other words, pay rate numbers by and large came not from hobbyists or dabblers, but from journalists whose majority income flowed from freelance assignments. For each respondent, the survey only collected pay rate data about the top five types of assignments that made up the bulk of their income. Two-thirds of the respondents had worked in science writing for 10 years or more. The survey yielded responses from 618 currently employed NASW members, 55 percent of whom identified as freelance writers or editors and 42 percent of whom said they earned their income solely from freelancing. The committee hired a scientifically trained surveyor, Gary Heebner of Cell Associates, to help design a survey that would return the kind of granular data many freelancers thirst for: What are the going rates for different types of science-writing assignments? We wanted breakdowns by the word, by the hour, and by gender. (Disclosure: I am co-chair of the committee and Siri Carpenter and Jeanne Erdmann, co-founders of The Open Notebook, are the previous co-chairs.) Luckily, that’s already been partially tackled by the NASW Freelance Committee, which surveyed NASW members about their compensation in 2013. The first step is getting some high-quality data on what science writers’ words are truly worth. How can full-time freelance science writers-who, according to the most recent survey conducted by the National Association of Science Writers, comprise 22 percent of the organization’s members-pull our collective earnings out of the toilet? But now, I’m offering some hope and empowerment for the New Year. And after examining your own year-end numbers for 2014, you might be in a post-holiday, pre-tax funk.

Freelance rates for science writing have not increased in the last three decades, and yet in 2014 it took $227.29 to purchase what cost $100 in 1984. Last week, we walked through the sad economic state of affairs in science journalism and the impact it has had on writers’ and editors’ ability to do our jobs. Degree Programs in Science, Health, or Environmental Writing

Science Writing Resources (Elsewhere) That We Like.

Guide to Using Alt-text to Make Images More Accessible.

Sample Script & Survey for Tracking Source Diversity.

Finding Diverse Sources for Science Stories.Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Resources.Tip Sheet for Newcomers to Science Writing.Where to Get Started at The Open Notebook.The Covering Science Slack: A Peer-Mentoring Community.Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring Program.Virtual Workshop Series: The Craft of Science Editing.Navigating the Science Journalism World.

Freelance writer rates 2015