How Much Does a 1,000-Word Blog Post Cost in 2025? Rates, Factors, UK/US Examples

You’re not buying words. You’re buying results. In 2025, a 1,000‑word blog post can cost anything from £40 to £1,200+ ($50 to $1,500+), and the spread isn’t random. It’s about research depth, subject expertise, SEO, revisions, speed, and the stakes of your topic. If you want a clear answer and a way to budget without guessing, you’re in the right place.

• TL;DR: Budget posts: £40-£150 ($50-$200). Pro generalists: £200-£500 ($250-$650). Niche experts/agency: £500-£1,200+ ($650-$1,500+).
• Price = (hours to research, draft, edit, SEO, admin) × writer’s hourly + extras (interviews, visuals, rush) + VAT if applicable.
• Expect 5-10 hours for a quality 1,000‑word post. Busy niches and compliance add more.
• Scope matters: a clear brief can lower cost 10-20% and cut revisions in half.
• Per‑project pricing beats per‑word for strategic content. Use per‑word for simple, repeatable topics.

What a 1,000‑Word Blog Post Costs in 2025

If you need a quick benchmark for blog post pricing, start with tiers. These aren’t theoretical-they reflect typical quotes on UK/US freelance markets, agency menus, and what marketers actually pay in 2025.

Here’s a pragmatic way to sanity‑check any quote: time × rate. A thorough 1,000‑word post often breaks down like this:

• Discovery/admin: 0.5-1.0 hr
• Research/SERP analysis: 1.5-3.0 hrs
• Outline: 0.5-1.0 hr
• Drafting: 2.5-4.0 hrs
• Edits + 1-2 revisions: 1.0-2.0 hrs
• On‑page SEO + upload: 0.5-1.0 hr

Total: 6-12 hours for quality; 3-5 hours for simple rewrite work. If a seasoned writer charges £60/hour, 7 hours lands at £420 before extras and VAT.

Use this simple formula to price out a project:

• Project price = (Estimated hours × Hourly) + Extras + Rush fee + VAT (if applicable)
• Extras can include: SME interview (£100-£400), original visuals (£30-£200), detailed keyword research (£25-£150), CMS upload (£25-£100), sourcing stock images (£10-£50).
• Rush fee: 20-50% premium if you need it inside 48 hours.
• Ghostwriting or byline transfer can add 10-30% (brand equity has value).

If you like per‑word math, convert the above to ranges: budget writers often quote £0.04-£0.15 per word; pro generalists £0.20-£0.50; specialists £0.50-£1.20+. Per‑project pricing is cleaner for anything strategic, but per‑word helps when topics are routine.

The UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £11.44 per hour (from April 2024). - UK Government guidance

That baseline matters. If a 1,000‑word post needs 6-10 hours of real work, anything under ~£100 risks corner‑cutting unless it’s repurposed or templated. Professionals typically bill well above the living wage to cover tax, tools, and non‑billable time.

Retainers reduce unit cost. A monthly plan of 4-8 posts often carries a 10-20% discount because research overlaps, voice is set, and reviews get faster. If you’re planning a content calendar, ask about pack rates.

What Actually Drives the Price Up or Down

Price isn’t just word count. It’s risk, time, and outcomes. These levers change the quote quickly:

• Topic complexity: A SaaS architecture piece with diagrams isn’t the same as “best spring jackets.” YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics in finance, health, and legal require careful sourcing and specialist oversight.
• Depth of research: Do you need primary data, expert quotes, or a unique angle? Expect more hours for literature review, stats validation, and fact‑checking.
• Interviews: Scheduling and conducting a 30‑minute SME interview can add 1-2 hours including prep and transcription.
• SEO scope: Simple on‑page vs a mini content brief with keyword mapping, SERP gap analysis, internal link plan, and schema suggestions.
• Assets: Custom screenshots, charts, or tables improve UX and rankings but add time.
• Review layers: Legal/compliance, medical review, or brand approvals extend the timeline and revision load.
• Turnaround speed: Need it tomorrow? You’re paying for deprioritization of other client work.
• Voice and brand lift: Ghostwriting for a named executive or mimicking a distinct brand voice is harder than generic copy.
• Revision policy: Unlimited revisions sound nice but often mean scope creep. Pros cap revisions or specify what counts as a revision vs a new brief.
• Usage rights: Exclusive, perpetual commercial use is standard. If you want raw files, notes, or interview recordings, define that upfront.
• Localisation: UK vs US English, metric vs imperial, and local regulatory references add care and time.

Two quick rules of thumb:

• Use per‑word for commodity explainers with clear outlines and minimal research.
• Use per‑project for strategy‑led or expert content where the idea, outline, and analysis matter more than raw word count.

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Paying for “1,000 words” when what you need is “a ranking, shareable resource.” Words don’t sell-clarity and credibility do.
• Under‑briefing. Vague briefs inflate price because writers have to hedge for unknowns.
• Assuming AI first drafts are free. Clean‑up, fact checks, and tone fixes still take time.

Scope Your Brief to Get Accurate Quotes (and Fewer Revisions)

A good brief can shave 1-2 hours off a job and avoid rework. Use this structure to get apples‑to‑apples quotes from writers or agencies.

1. Goal and audience: State the outcome (rank for X, demo signups, email opt‑ins) and who the reader is (role, pain, stage).
2. Working title + angle: Mention the competitive hook and what makes this take different.
3. Search intent + primary keyword: Add 3-5 secondary terms and the SERP gap you want to fill.
4. Outline: Draft H2s/H3s and must‑hit points. Note any internal links to include.
5. Sources and SMEs: List brand reports, product docs, experts available, and any must‑cite authorities.
6. Voice and style: Drop 2-3 sample links and a quick do/don’t list. UK or US English, tone (straight, witty, friendly).
7. Deliverables: Word count tolerance (±10%), title tag, meta description, slug, alt text, CTA, schema notes if needed.
8. Assets: Screenshots, charts, or images? Who makes them?
9. Workflow: Draft in Google Docs? Use comments? Who signs off and by when?
10. Timeline: Draft due date, review window, final due date, and any dependencies.
11. Legal/compliance: Any red lines, disclaimers, or claims to avoid.
12. Rights and credit: Ghostwritten or bylined? Can the writer use it in a portfolio after publication?
13. Payment terms: Currency, invoicing, VAT, deposit (commonly 30-50% for new clients), and payment window.
14. Success metric: How we’ll judge it (rank, dwell time, conversions, links).

Copy‑paste brief template you can tweak:

GOAL: e.g., Rank top 3 for “X” and drive 20 demo clicks/month
AUDIENCE: e.g., UK B2B marketers at seed-Series A SaaS, time-poor, needs examples
TITLE/ANGLE: Working title + what makes it different
KEYWORDS: Primary + up to 5 secondary; SERP gaps we’ll fill
OUTLINE: H2/H3 bullets + internal links to include
SOURCES/SMEs: Docs, data, interview slots available
VOICE/STYLE: UK English, plain language, no jargon; examples: [link titles]
DELIVERABLES: ~1,000 words (±10%), title tag (≤60 chars), meta (≤155), slug, 3 CTAs, 2 images
ASSETS: Who creates visuals; brand drive link
WORKFLOW: Google Docs; 2 revision rounds; reviewer emails
TIMELINE: Draft by [date]; review 48h; final by [date]
LEGAL: Any claims to avoid or disclaimers to include
RIGHTS/CREDIT: Ghostwritten; exclusive rights transfer on final payment
PAYMENT: £X fixed, 50% deposit, 14‑day terms; VAT applies; late fee policy
SUCCESS: Rank top 5 in 90 days; ≥2:00 avg time on page; ≥1% CTA CTR

Pricing cheat‑codes:

• Batch topics with shared research to cut cost per post.
• Offer flexibility on deadlines-better rates come when writers can slot work into gaps.
• Lock in a retainer for predictable cadence; negotiate a review clause every quarter.
• Provide access to SMEs upfront; interviews prevent generic content and save edit time.

Who to Hire (and When) + ROI Math You Can Trust

You have four realistic paths for a 1,000‑word post. Pick based on stakes, speed, and scale.

Independent freelancer

• Best for: Ongoing content with a consistent voice, flexible scope, better value than agencies.
• Not for: Heavy multi‑asset campaigns needing design, dev, and reporting in one place.
• What to watch: Vet samples in your niche. Set revision policy. Check availability for your cadence.

Content agency/studio

• Best for: Scale, multi‑stakeholder environments, built‑in editing, strategy, and QA.
• Not for: Super niche thought leadership where a named SME writer is the draw.
• What to watch: Ensure you’ll get a consistent lead writer. Ask for process and edit layers.

In‑house writer

• Best for: Deep product knowledge, cross‑team alignment, fast internal approvals.
• Not for: Spiky workloads or hyper‑specialist topics you only tackle quarterly.
• What to watch: True cost includes salary, NI, benefits, software, training, and management.

AI‑assisted workflow (human‑edited)

• Best for: Brief‑driven explainers, updates, and repurposed content where originality risk is lower.
• Not for: YMYL topics, strong POV thought leadership, or nuanced product stories.
• What to watch: Fact‑check everything, run originality checks, and protect brand voice.

Decision cues:

• Budget under £200 and low stakes? Commission a starter piece or write in‑house to learn.
• £200-£500 and you want rankings + conversions on evergreen topics? Hire a proven generalist.
• £500-£1,200+ and you need authority in a regulated or technical niche? Book a specialist or agency.

ROI math you can explain to your CFO:

• Leads model: If a post brings 800 qualified visits/month, a 1% lead rate creates 8 leads. If a lead is worth £200, that’s £1,600/month. Spending £600 on that post pays for itself in weeks.
• Assisted conversions: Top‑of‑funnel content often assists deals by improving sales velocity. Add that soft value when judging payback.
• Longevity: A post that ranks for 18 months outperforms ten short‑lived social posts. Consider total lifetime value, not week‑one clicks.

Mini‑FAQ

• Per‑word or per‑project? Per‑project most of the time. Per‑word is fine for standardized briefs or when testing a new writer with low complexity.
• How many revisions are standard? Two rounds is common. More rounds = more cost unless the brief changes.
• Who owns the copyright? You typically own it after final payment. Put it in the contract.
• Are sources included? Yes, usually as links or footnotes in the draft. Paid data or transcripts are billable extras.
• Will the writer upload to my CMS? Many will, for a fee. Give limited access and a checklist.
• How do I pay internationally? Bank transfer, card, or a service like Wise/PayPal/Stripe. Agree currency and fees upfront.
• Plagiarism and AI? Ask for originality checks and clear policies. Many pros use AI for research acceleration but write and fact‑check manually.

Checklist: what to ask before you hire

• 3 recent samples in your niche and a before/after edit example
• Outline of their process and timelines
• Revision policy and what counts as out of scope
• What they consider a “complete” post (SEO, images, internal links)
• Two references or public bylines you can verify
• Invoice terms, VAT, and cancellation terms

Red flags

• Quotes only by word count with no mention of research or revisions
• Guarantees of rankings without clarifying your domain’s authority and link profile
• No questions about your audience, offer, or CTA

Next steps

• Solo founder on a tight budget: Draft the brief yourself, shortlist two pro generalists in the £200-£350 range, and commission one pilot piece with a clear metric (email signups or demo clicks).
• Marketing manager with monthly targets: Build a 3‑month topic cluster, book a retainer for 4-6 posts/month with one lead writer and one backup, and set quarterly review goals.
• Enterprise editor scaling up: Create a roster: 1 specialist SME, 1 generalist, and an editor. Use a shared style guide and standard operating procedures for briefs, QA, and CMS.

Troubleshooting

• Quote feels high: Remove scope bloat (strip visuals, skip SME interview), extend the deadline, or batch topics to share research time.
• Draft missed the mark: Share 3 concrete notes tied to the brief (one per section), offer a 20‑minute call, and reset the outline before the next pass.
• Deadlines slipping: Introduce milestone checkpoints (outline by X, draft by Y), and have a named backup writer for critical weeks.
• Post underperforms: Add internal links from related pages, tighten the intro and H2s, improve the title/meta, inject 2 data points, and pitch it for 2-3 contextual backlinks.

If you take one thing from this guide, let it be this: define the outcome, scope the work, and pay for the thinking, not the word count. Do that, and your 1,000‑word posts start pulling their weight-right where it matters.