Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 242 posts

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#121

Post by Escapado »

silent_cal wrote: post #115
Escapado wrote: post #111

I am located in germany, work as a fullstack dev with frontend focus (react/vue). I have about 6 years of total dev experience[1]. For full time projects I charge 90-100€/h (+19% VAT) and I exclusively take on remote projects. When I started out at as a freelancer at the beginning of 2020 my rate was 80€/h. If I was approached with short term projects(as in less than 160h of work) I would charge significantly more bu…

Where did you go to find your first freelancing gigs?

I sent my CV to recruiting companies such as Hays, Computerfutures, Gulp and a couple more as well as having a linkedin and xing profile. On my first job I actually worked with one of them as an intermediary for a larger company and when I quit I asked them if they could actually arrange it so I could continue to work there but as a freelancer. They agreed, my original contract did not forbid it and as I was the only dev at the company no harm was done.

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#122

Post by tpxl »

Darmody wrote: post #114
tpxl wrote: post #27

I do backend Java development as a mid-senior engineer (~10 years of experience). I have a good grasp of SQL, git, Spring, ... I do 35€/hr in central/southern Europe, working for a local fintech company (2-3x what I'd get as wage). I plan on rising my rates later this year. I was in talks with a US company, and they balked when I requested 42$/hr as that was what they paid their employees from the US.

My uncle who's a mechanic, bills 35/40€/h and it's not expensive. If you go to any retail mechanic the rate won't be lower than 70€/h.

So does my mechanic, but he does a harder job and has 100k€ in tools. Also, a mechanic can only charge when he has customers, where I can do 8hrs/day for a single customer for ages.

That being said, I know the rate is low comparatively for the wider market, but it's still high locally.

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#123

Post by maxsavin »

I usually charge per day or per week. If it's a few hours, I just tell them it's not worth my time.

The locality of the customer matters a lot. Usually, I will factor what it would cost for them to hire a full-time engineer (not just salary, but also overhead). A $120k salary will cost the company $200k, or $90 per hour. Then I'll add a % on top since I'm not getting days off, paid vacation, long-term security, etc.

That kind of reasoning helps with stingy customers. Otherwise, I just give a flat rate to solve their problem.

For customers that need me long term, I also ask for a monthly retainer to keep availability for them, for meetings, emergency bug fixes, etc. Otherwise, you're giving them the perks of an employee without them properly compensating you.

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#124

Post by dinosaurdynasty »

edent wrote: post #96
datavirtue wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good point. Developers need to quit putting tools (languages, frameworks, cloud vendors) and tech buzzwords next to their name. It is embarrassing as hell.

I wouldn't say embarrassing - I'd just say limiting. A plumber doesn't list the names of the industrial chemicals and tools. They say "we unblock your toilet quickly and safely" - because that's what the customer is buying.

Well at least there aren't 20 types of toilets where each one takes 3 years to learn how to unlock...

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#125

Post by dijit »

Escapado wrote: post #111

I am located in germany, work as a fullstack dev with frontend focus (react/vue). I have about 6 years of total dev experience[1]. For full time projects I charge 90-100€/h (+19% VAT) and I exclusively take on remote projects. When I started out at as a freelancer at the beginning of 2020 my rate was 80€/h. If I was approached with short term projects(as in less than 160h of work) I would charge significantly more bu…

it's probably true that you're earning more; but you should know that the amount seen on the balance sheet isn't the whole truth.

In fact, I'm quite sure you know, but for those reading: 80-100eur/h on a contract is roughly equivalent to 50-60eur/h salaried; due to social contributions, paid vacation (1.12th of your salary), pension contributions and other benefits relating to insurance in the even the business goes bankrupt. -- that doesn't include any other benefits you might get as a FTE.

It's very hard to compare, and it's the same awkward comparison you have to make when talking to US folks, since US folks have as much job security as contractors do in Europe and get paid in a relatively similar way with similar benefits in some cases.

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#126

Post by swah »

0x5345414e wrote: post #8

My rate is 165 USD/hr, but I’ll drop it as low as 135 for a long contract (6 months+). I do custom software for the refrigeration industry (mostly simulations, sensor data logging, a lot of web apps, etc.). But yeah like another poster mentioned, I just raise it every time I work with a new customer. Imo hourly rates are kind of bogus because not every hour is the same and hours can’t determine value. Generally I neg…

Excellent. I do bluetooth mobile apps for the refrigeration industry, and currently thinking about leaving my job for something in USD...

I always say the number 50 USD/hour, since I feel like recruiters/platforms expect for a LATAM based dev to charge a bit less..

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#127

Post by xwowsersx »

sixhobbits wrote: post #106
xwowsersx wrote: post #92

What's up with the Poll? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32606904 Won't load for me.

it loads for me. Can you view other polls in HN? (search "Poll:" in bar at the bottom)

Yes, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12683334 for example loads fine, but the contractor one just loads nothing for me. Checked network tab and don't see any errors or anything. Hmm, inspector tab shows the full DOM, but none of it is visible in the browser window... https://ibb.co/3vDts8r

EDIT: Ok, must be an extension. Works fine in private window.

EDIT 2: the culprit appears to be the Hacker News Enhancement Suite extension on FF. Once disabled, the poll works. https://github.com/etcet/HNES

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#128

Post by jliptzin »

tagersenim wrote: post #102
edent wrote: post #68

I have three rates. You are a charity, or other worthy cause, or someone I really want to work with - 50% - 100% discount. You are a normal client - 100%. You are either an arsehole or have asked for something very last minute - 150%-200% depending on the mood I'm in. The last one, colloquially known as the fuck-off rate, is probably the best bit of contracting advice I ever got from a colleague. He hated the gig we…

Oh, to be able to charge by the hour would be such bliss as a lawyer. We charge by 0,1 hours: every 6 minutes need to be accounted for.

I love getting charged $75 for emails that just say “OK”

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#129

Post by more_corn »

simonw wrote: post #7

The best advice I ever got about freelancing was to increase my rate for every job and keep on doing that until people refused to hire me. How else can you figure out what you're worth?

This is a good way to burn your network. A better way might be to estimate your value and play around a little bit at the top end. A previous comment about having a high rate for jobs you don’t really want is clever.

Re: Ask HN: Contractors, what is your hourly rate?

#130

Post by k__ »

Nick87633 wrote: post #117
k__ wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It filters clients quite good. When I started freelancing, I only took multi month projects that paid thousands of dollars. I never had to discuss money with any of these clients. A friend of mine focused on per hour contracts, in the hopes they would be ongoing. His clients constantly haggled.

Does that mean you bid a fixed price?

Usually, yes.
Post reply on HN