Rates, 2026
What should a ghostwriter charge in New York or LA?
About $1,050 a day for a ghostwriter who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $725 in the first years, $1,375 when senior. A ghostwritten piece runs about $2,750. Also called: thought leadership, linkedin writer.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$725
a day · $90 an hour
Working, booked
$1,050
a day · $125 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,375
a day · $175 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,050 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$125 per hour
- A ghostwritten piece$2,750 per project
- Monthly retainera month of posts, articles or the newsletter, in their voice$6,500 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 New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- LinkedIn post$100 to $400 each
- Thought-leadership article$800 to $3,000 each
- Newsletter issue$300 to $1,000 each
- Book proposal$5,000 to $15,000 each
- Full nonfiction book$25,000 to $100,000 each
How the number is made
Ghostwriters at this level day at about $1,050 ($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 New York or LA?
- About $1,050 a day for someone working and booked, $725 in the first years, $1,375 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a ghostwritten piece?
- $2,750 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 $6,500 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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