It’s no surprise that copywriting is a popular career option.
The freedom to be creative, work remotely, earn good money, and make a difference is a dream for many people.
But the problem is it brings a lot of competition.
The barrier to entry is so low that people worldwide are competing for the same copywriting jobs and freelance gigs. This makes it difficult to find opportunities, land interviews, and actually win.
So in this article, I’ll review the various copywriting jobs and all the places you can find them. I’ll even give you some tips on how to stand out and get hired!
Types of copywriting jobs and gigs you can find online
There are two types of copywriting avenues you can go down. The first one is to be self-employed as a freelance copywriter. The other option is to get a part-time or full-time job working for a marketing agency or as an in-house copywriter.
Freelance copywriting gigs
This is for someone who wants to be self-employed and set their own schedule. You have the freedom to do what you want when you want. Most people think freelance copywriters have it the best. And it can definitely seem that way since they charge their own rates, work their own hours, and can travel the world. All of this is true but they’re also responsible for finding their own customers (and keeping them!). From my experience, this isn’t easy and it requires resilience and tenacity.
Pros:
- Great for people who want to start copywriting as a side hustle before going “all in”
- Location independent (you can work anywhere – anytime)
- Freedom to choose the types of clients you work with
- Autonomy over your work and schedule
- Freedom to set your own rates
Cons:
- Competitive
- No security of income
- No employee perks or benefits
- Can be lonely if you don’t have a team
- Need to find your own clients all the time and keep them
Copywriting jobs
In-house
These are the copywriters who are employed by a company that requires them to handle all their copywriting needs. You only get exposure to one company and industry. For instance, you could be an in-house copywriter at a FinTech company, meaning you’ll only be writing copy in the Finance space. Your earning potential will also be capped since you’re an employee.
Pros:
- Employee benefits and perks
- Usually the least intense copywriting option
- Flexible working arrangements are still possible
Cons:
- Easy to get stale and not learn
- Earning potential isn’t as great as freelancers
- Hard to learn from other copywriters if you’re the only one on the team
Agency
Working for an agency is a great option for copywriters who want exposure to many brands and copywriting styles. You’ll often be thrown in the deep end and your learning trajectory will be far greater than your freelancing counterparts who are on their own. You’ll be exposed to a variety of clients and you might even build a client base through these connections. I’ve worked for a few agencies in the past and they’re fun, however, the work can be intense and there’s a cap on the amount of money you can earn.
Pros:
- Great way to get exposure to different brands and styles
- Best way to learn from other copywriters and marketers
- Usually a more fun environment
- Training budgets for upskilling
Cons:
- Cutthroat nature
- Higher expectations and workload
- Can be longer hours compared to other copywriting jobs/gigs
- You need to deliver different projects regardless of whether you like the work
20 places to find copywriting jobs and gigs
1. Freelance Writing Gigs
This particular site shows a round-up of new opportunities every couple of days. The job types range from freelance writing to direct response copywriters. It’s much less popular than job boards like Seek or Indeed but you can still find great opportunities.
2. We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely is a job board specific to remote work opportunities. There are many different fields but if you filter for “Sales and Marketing” you can find some relevant copywriting jobs. The job board is growing and since launch, there have been 30,000 jobs posted.
3. The Writer’s Job Newsletter
This is a little bit different from the typical job boards. The Writer’s Job Newsletter is a highly curated list of opportunities for writers. This includes bloggers, freelance copywriters, and proofreaders. Every Sunday you can expect to receive an email with new opportunities straight to your inbox. I personally prefer email newsletters because the jobs have been curated and vetted by someone that knows which opportunities are most appealing.
4. Freedom With Writing Newsletter
Since I’m a big fan of email newsletter roundups I’ve included a few of them to give you a wider selection. This particular newsletter is a roundup of companies hiring writers of all kinds. It’s free and they promise to send you at least three companies looking for copywriters the second you enter your email.
5. Marketer Hire
Marketer Hire is a great option for freelancers looking to land copywriting gigs on demand. You simply sign up and optimize your profile, and relevant projects will be shared in your inbox. Companies can also reach out if your profile matches their criteria. I will note that it can be competitive and the quality of the talent pool is exceptionally high. It includes marketers from companies like Uber, Facebook, Dollar Shave Club, and Kissmetrics.
6. Remote OK
Remote OK is a remote work job board created by successful Entrepreneur Pieter Levels. One thing that separates this from most job boards is the level of data each job post contains. This makes it extremely easy to filter for jobs that match your expectations (including salary, location, company type, etc). I haven’t seen any other job board with this level of granularity.
7. Bark
Bark is a services marketplace that allows you to attract and find suitable gigs. It’s best suited to freelancers who want to pick up extra gigs. The reviews have been mixed with Bark. Some have found it particularly helpful in getting clients and others have mentioned the signup process is grueling and unnecessary. Either way, it’s still possible to land copywriting gigs on this platform. I quit the signup process because it took longer than 10 minutes to sign up.
8. Flex Jobs
Flex Jobs is a more “corporate” version of Remote OK. They promote various remote jobs but have one of the largest selections of copywriting jobs available. At any one time, you can expect to find hundreds of copywriting jobs available. Flex Jobs is global, so it doesn’t matter which country or timezone you’re in you’ll find something suitable.
9. r/hireawriter or r/forhire subreddit
Reddit is a great palace to find opportunities. Certain subreddits are particularly helpful when it comes to finding copywriting gigs! The r/hireawriter and r/forhire subreddit are good places to check for opportunities if you’re in need of one. The quality of gigs might not be amazing but it’s worth checking out if you’re stuck.
10. Large Corporate Job Boards
These are the humongous corporate job boards that always have thousands of live jobs at any one time. It includes sites like Zip Recruiter, Seek, Indeed, Simply Hired, and LinkedIn. You’ll usually be able to find a relevant job on these sites, however, the competition is pretty intense. If you take LinkedIn for example, it’s not uncommon to see over 200 applicants for a single job.
11. Superpath
Superpath is a content marketing slack community. There are over 10,000 active content writers and copywriters in the community. This makes it a super relevant place for businesses to attract talent. And that’s exactly what they do. You’ll be able to find both freelance copywriting gigs and full-time copywriting jobs through Superpath. Even if you don’t find a suitable job/gig I highly recommend joining the community anyway, I’ve built some incredible relationships.
12. Blogging Pro
Blogging Pro is a job board updated daily with new opportunities. Whilst most of the jobs are content marketing specific there are a few copywriting and copy editing jobs that do appear. Again, it’s not perfect but it’s one step closer to landing your dream job in a saturated market.
13. Kaitlyn Anford’s Newsletter (my favorite)
Kaitlyn Arford’s newsletter exists to give freelancers more rate transparency and help them land better opportunities. It’s one of the few emails I check regularly. A lot of effort goes into curating each newsletter so the quality of jobs is better than most job boards. You can expect to find opportunities you’re actually excited to apply for. I highly recommend signing up for this and even buying Kaitlyn a coffee if you find value in the emails.
14. The Talent Fairy by ED2010
The Talent Fairy by ED2010 connects editorial talent with brands. They also offer career coaching, and career advice and they have a small job board. You won’t find hundreds of jobs here but you will find a carefully curated list of opportunities.
15. Pro Blogger Jobs
Pro Blogger Jobs is a popular job board hosting various writing jobs. There are usually hundreds of active jobs every month to choose from. However, the competition is huge. Businesses have reported receiving hundreds of low-quality applications. If you’re going to apply for a job or gig on this site be sure to make it stand out.
16. Coroflot
Coroflot is a job board specifically for hiring creative professionals. Most of the jobs are design related but every now and then you can expect to find copywriting jobs advertised. They list both US and Remote jobs so if you’re a digital nomad you can still find value in their listings.
17. Contra
Contra is a commission-free freelance marketplace. The platform is growing rapidly and you’ll be able to land gigs if you create a great profile. It’s also a great option for copywriters since companies like Copy.ai, Figma, and Almanac have used Contra for their projects.
18. Upwork
Upwork is one of the most popular marketplaces for businesses and freelancers alike to work together. You can bid on projects, grow your profile, and eventually earn very good money freelancing directly through Upwork. The only downside is that it’s extremely competitive, especially in the low-mid range. If you’re not a stand-out freelancer it’s hard to win jobs as often.
19. Freelancer
Freelancer is another popular marketplace that isn’t as saturated as Upwork, however, it is still very competitive. The only downside is that a lot of the “power” remains with the business. Freelancers have a lot of terrible reviews in comparison to their competitors. They’re known for unreasonably withholding funds. This means if you make a mistake or do not deliver to spec you won’t get your money and you risk a bad review.
20. Fiverr
Fiverr is another marketplace that connects freelancers and businesses. It’s known for having cheap gigs, although this is slowly starting to change. It’s starting to become a high-quality option for many businesses. If you’re a freelance copywriter you can list your services on Fiverr for free. This makes it a low-risk option to find new gigs without having to do the outreach and pitch clients. To be successful you’ll need to start with some “too good to be true” offers so you can accumulate reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better for copywriters to work in-house or for an agency?
This totally depends on your goals. If you want a more cruisy job that isn’t high paced then working in-house is probably best. If you’re keen on a fast-paced environment with more (and different) work then an agency can be a good option for you.
Again, it is dependent on your personal preferences and goals. It’s also important to remember that the company, culture, team size, and work type will all determine how enjoyable the experience is. This is why it’s important to read the job description and thoroughly research the company before committing.
How much should I be paid as a full-time copywriter?
According to Built In the average Copywriter’s Salary in Austin is $60,272 in 2023. In the same report Built In suggests that the average remote Copywriter’s Salary is $99,000.
Keep in mind this is data collected from various copywriters and the scale is never 100% accurate. You should always try to negotiate a higher salary by upskilling and proving your value to a company.
Is it hard to land freelance copywriting jobs?
It’s definitely not “easy” but it depends on who the copywriter is. Remember, you’re competing with other copywriters to win the same gigs. If you’re an expert copywriter with years of experience, an impressive portfolio, and a great network then landing a new role will be a walk in the park. If you’re new then it might be harder to break into that first job.
How competitive is freelance copywriting?
There are more freelance copywriters entering the industry every month. However, this shouldn’t be an issue if you can stand out from the crowd.
Related article: How to find copywriting clients fast
How much should I charge as a freelance copywriter?
Great question. Firstly, you need to work out the type of pricing method you want to apply. Freelance copywriters usually charge cents per word, value-based, hourly, or profit share.
See this guide to work out what you should charge based on experience and project type.
How do you stand out from the crowd as a copywriter?
There are many ways to stand out as a copywriter. You don’t have to be the “best” but you do need to offer more value. You can do this in many different ways. The tips below are most relevant to freelance copywriters but can still be applied to copywriters looking for full-time or part-time work.
Niching: Finding a specific niche within an industry or copywriting service is an easy way to show a potential client or employer that you’re specialized and the right choice.
Becoming a thought leader: Through posting content on social media and your blog you can attract the right type of clients. It’s also an easy way to build trust and prove your value.
Doing free work: Sometimes there’s just no way around this. Offering free work builds your network, opens you up to paid gigs with the same client, and builds your portfolio. If you don’t have an impressive portfolio I highly suggest doing some free work.
Networking: This sounds much more formal than it is. You could simply network but joining communities such as Superpath or r/copywriting. Being active within the community will help you in more ways than you could imagine.
Offering complimentary services: Sometimes offering a complimentary service such as customer interviews is enough to separate yourself from the competition. this includes customer interviews
