US Freelance Rates
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- 5timuli
OK so there's this website...
http://freelanceswitch.com/rates…
...that lets you calculate your hourly rate, but there's no point in calculating a rate if it's going to be $20 above everyone else and nobody will touch you with a ten foot pole.Is there anywhere I can find a list of average freelance rates (print and web) by area so I can get a good idea of what to charge? What's a reasonable rate for freelance print/web design in the US?
I know there have probably been 10,000 threads about this in the past but I cant find anything.
- 5timuli0
OK so I just read another thread after my third PVN search. My rates are calculated to around $60 an hour. Seems a bit high to me, that would equate to an salary of $125k (wouldn't it?). Now I know it depends on area but is that reasonable?
- madirish0
you would be a steal if that is what you charged. additionally, if you could charge that, AND book your annual hours, you are golden.
- 5timuli0
So $80 or $90 would be acceptable? Hey, let's make it $100.
- madirish0
yeah, that would be fine, barring you have the book to support it.
truth be told, about 75% of my work is charged at least @ 100...
- 5timuli0
I found a site with portfolios and such and most of them charge between $20 and $40. One even charges $8 but the she says 'self taught web designer' and looks like a bored housewife.
- material-10
$50-100 if you want to be taken seriously, 100+ if you are a rockstar like mad
- material-10
the more you charge the less bs you have to deal with as people respect your time a little more
- CyBrain0
Other factors are location and of course the type of work.
You're going to get a lot more designing flash sites for large clients than doing type corrections and revisions for Joe's Donuts.
- 5timuli0
Anyone else want to lend their opinions?
- Mick0
The reason to charge $60/hr or more is that you're not billing 40hours of work as a freelancer (if you are then you're working 60 hours weeks). As a freelancer you have hours on the phone, half days pitching to potential clients. At most, 3/4 of my time when I was freelancing was actually billable hours.
Hourly rates are a somewhat fictional - I have tough clients that won't ever pay more than $50/hr and I've spoken to their accounts people and they say "It's fine if you do 10 hours work and charge us for 15 if that's the final price you need... we just need out books to read that we only paid you $50/hr."
The moral is - charge whatever rates clients want to pay. Quote the hours it takes to make up how much $ you need to survive. Business is business.