Rates, 2026
What should a ghostwriter charge in a major city?
About $900 a day for a ghostwriter who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $625 in the first years, $1,150 when senior. A ghostwritten piece runs about $2,350. Also called: thought leadership, linkedin writer.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$625
a day · $80 an hour
Working, booked
$900
a day · $125 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,150
a day · $150 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$900 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$125 per hour
- A ghostwritten piece$2,350 per project
- Monthly retainera month of posts, articles or the newsletter, in their voice$5,525 per month
Sold a project fee, a monthly retainer, by the day. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- LinkedIn post$85 to $350 each
- Thought-leadership article$675 to $2,550 each
- Newsletter issue$250 to $850 each
- Book proposal$4,250 to $12,750 each
- Full nonfiction book$21,250 to $85,000 each
How the number is made
Ghostwriters at this level in this market day at about $900 ($600 to $1,500 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A ghostwritten piece runs $500 to $5,000 and takes about 12 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $1,500. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: a month of posts, articles or the newsletter, in their voice. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a ghostwriter in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $900 a day for someone working and booked, $625 in the first years, $1,150 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a ghostwritten piece?
- $2,350 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a ghostwriter?
- Around $5,525 a month: a month of posts, articles or the newsletter, in their voice. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
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