5 of the Most Profitable Writing Niches for Freelancers
Specializing in a niche as a freelance writer can help you find more clients and stand out against the competition. But choosing a niche can be a tough decision, especially when some pay better than others. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to five of the most profitable writing niches for freelance writers.
Read on to find out which niches pay the most, what they involve, and how you can pursue work as a freelance writer.
What Is a Writing Niche?
In freelance writing, a niche is an area you choose to specialize in. This could be a particular subject matter, such as travel or medicine, or a certain format, like blog posts or journal articles.
We cover more about choosing a niche in our blog post on the subject. But to summarize, specializing in a niche can allow you to:
- Find clients more easily
- Offer a more competitive service
- Earn a higher rate of pay
Of course, some niches are more profitable than others.
5 Most Profitable Writing Niches
Below, we’ve outlined five niches that can earn you the most income in the world of freelance writing:
- Digital marketing and SEO content
- Technical writing (including SaaS, AI, and cybersecurity)
- Finance and fintech
- Health and wellness
- Elearning
Keep reading to find out more about these niches.
1. Digital Marketing and SEO Content Writing
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a tool that improves the rank of web pages in search engines. The more optimized written content is, the higher up it will appear in search results. This translates to a higher click-through rate, which means more visitors to a page.
As a result, SEO writing is a highly sought-after skill when it comes to digital marketing, particularly copywriting, content marketing, and creating blog posts and other web content. It involves:
- Researching the right keywords to use
- Avoiding keyword stuffing
- Deciding on the appropriate format for content
- Organizing content clearly
- Writing content that is unique
Experienced marketing copywriters can charge $250−$1,000 for each article they produce. The average yearly salary for a freelance copywriter in the US is $66,395.
To start working as an SEO content writer or copywriter, consider taking a course in SEO so that you can grasp the ins and outs of how it works. Being able to demonstrate an understanding of keyword research tools will also be a point in your favor.
Check out our previous blog post, How to Become an SEO Content Writer, for more tips on entering this writing niche.
2. Technical Writing
Technical writing involves creating content like user manuals, product documentation, and technical guides, particularly in areas like software as a service (SaaS), artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity.
SaaS content writing is a particular form of technical writing that combines various aspects of digital marketing. In common with those specializing in other aspects of technical writing, freelance writers in this niche will be expected to:
- Explain how the software or service works
- Write case studies demonstrating the software in use
- Produce service comparisons
Depending on your level of expertise, you could earn $250–$750 per article as a freelance technical writer. According to Payscale, the average salary for a technical writer is $67,698.
If you have the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts, then this writing niche could be for you. For further information and practical advice, take a look at our article on how to become a technical writer.
3. Finance and Fintech
It shouldn’t come as a shock that jobs in finance tend to pay well. Freelance financial writing is no different.
With this niche, you can expect to write:
- Financial reports and analyses
- Blog posts
- Personal finance guides and tips
- Finance textbooks
If you want to get even more specific, you might specialize in fintech (short for financial technology), which encompasses mobile banking apps, payment platforms (like PayPal), and cryptocurrency exchanges (like Coinbase). Cryptocurrency is a hot finance topic that pays well due to its complexity.
Freelance writers in finance can charge an average of $0.10−$0.20 per word, with the average annual salary working out at around $90,000.
Having a background in finance or a relevant degree, such as one in economics, will help you find work as a freelance financial writer. Alternatively, you can build up a portfolio by setting up or submitting to finance blogs.
Want to learn more? Have a look at our dedicated blog post, How to Become a Financial Content Writer.
4. Health and Wellness
Self-care, mindfulness, and alternative medicine are all part of a booming global health and wellness industry that’s estimated to increase from $568.41 billion to approximately $1,074.78 billion by 2034.
Health and wellness writers will typically produce long-form blog content. They may also find work writing marketing materials for alternative healthcare companies or producing self-help guides focused on topics such as:
- Self-care
- Mindfulness
- Meditation
- Gratitude
- Yoga
- Aromatherapy
- Supplements
- Burnout
- Anxiety and depression
In general, health writing jobs in the US can earn you an average income of $55k annually, while the estimated earnings per healthcare article are estimated at $150–$600.
Specializing in health and wellness as a freelance writer doesn’t require a particular academic background, but it’s useful to have a solid understanding of self-care and mindfulness practices. Being able to demonstrate your own experience with the subject matter is also especially helpful.
For more detailed advice on this niche, check out our blog posts How to Become a Health Writer and How to Become a Mental Health Writer.
5. Elearning
The elearning and online course industry has seen a boom in the past few years, with the global market for elearning valued at $430.2 billion in 2024 and estimated to increase to $764.1 billion by 2030. Depending on their role, it’s no surprise that successful freelance writers can expect to make $41k−$103k a year in the elearning industry.
Specializing in this niche can involve:
- Developing course outlines
- Producing long-form course content, quizzes, and video scripts
- Creating supplementary materials, such as resources, blog posts, and guides
You’re most likely to find well-paid work in the elearning industry if you have a relevant degree or background in education. But if you don’t possess either of these, then being able to demonstrate a passion for learning and an understanding of how elearning works can help you get a foot in the door.
Other Profitable Writing Niches
If you’ve followed the links above, you’ll have noticed that the above list is by no means exhaustive and that figures and rankings tend to differ depending on where you look. The good news, therefore, is that there are a whole lot of great, well-paid niches out there. So if none of those listed above appeal to you – and, after all, there’s more to choosing a niche than picking the one that pays the most – have a look at one of these:
- Travel
Whether it’s your own travel blog and social media content or guidebooks and hotel reviews, you could turn your passion for travel into a writing career.
As a travel writer in the US, you could earn $51k–$86k. For more information on getting into this niche, have a look at our post on how to become a freelance travel writer.
- Ghostwriting
A ghostwriter is essentially someone who is paid to write a piece that goes out in another person or company’s name. Common ghostwriting jobs include writing website copy, ebooks and white papers, speeches and presentations, blog posts, articles, and social media content.
The figures compiled by Reedsy indicate an average rate per word of $0.15 to $2.50. If this is a niche that interests you, we have a separate post on how to become a ghostwriter.
- Food and drink
Writing about food and drink can include recipes, reviews, food history, blogs, books, columns, and interviews.
The average food writer salary in the US is $43,680. If this niche tickles your taste buds, read our post on how to become a food writer.
- Fashion and beauty
Freelance fashion and beauty writing comes, like fashion and beauty itself, in many forms. You could write your own blog or contribute articles to magazines, conduct interviews, or write product descriptions and reviews.
A freelance fashion writer in the US could earn between $40,950 and $117,000 depending on experience. If you have a flair for fashion and enjoy writing about it, check out our post on how to become a fashion writer.
- Sport
As a sports writer, you could specialize in your favorite sport or team or cover the industry as a whole. Your writing might include interviews, match reports, opinion pieces, profiles, or features.
If you’re passionate about the sport, then simply attending the events and interviewing your heroes may be reward in itself. Additionally, you could earn an average of $46,800 per year. If this is the one for you, have a look at our post on how to become a sports writer.
- Legal content
For this niche, as with technical writing, you’ll need some expertise in the subject. Legal content writing requires precision and involves legal research, analysis, and the ability to explain or summarize complex issues in a way that can be easily understood.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the expertise required, freelance legal content writers in the US can make an average of $87,750 a year. As you might expect, we have a post on this too: have a look at how to become a legal content writer.
Becoming A Freelance Writer
If you want to learn how to become a freelance writer, our Becoming A Freelance Writer course offers all the answers. Sign up for some free lessons, and start your journey today!
Updated on May 02, 2025
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