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

Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 121 posts

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#111

Post by amingilani »

sdiq wrote: post #101
amingilani wrote: post #32

I don't want to share my exact rate, but I easily make a month what a Silicon Valley engineer at a seed startup can.. and since I live in a developing country it's an order of magnitude more than most people my age. If you're a brilliant engineer and are looking to work for a freelance app developer, I recommend Toptal[1]. While I now work at Toptal, I first joined the company through their freelance network, got a p…

Glad to know your story and I have been interested with trying them but haven't yet mustered the courage yet. Which languages/frameworks do you think are popular with the clients on Toptal. I am asking this because I am mostly interested in Java/Spring and I am not sure whether that would get me enough gigs? Should I move to Ruby/Rails, Python/Django, Javascript, etc?

It doesn't matter. Most of the clients I worked with didn't have a running operation before and wanted me to start with a framework I was most comfortable with and so I ran with Ruby on Rails.

Had I been a Java/Spring dev, I would've used that. It's what YOU do that matters.

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#112

Post by amingilani »

JamesBarney wrote: post #108
amingilani wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't let that get to you, they have an intense screening process but after you pass it, that's just it. I'm 25, I have a degree in Economics and Finance, and no formal computer education. All I have is my self-taught experience. The first time I tried, for all my confidence, I flunked it really bad, which came as a shock to me. I mean, I knew I was good. The recruiter gave me a timeout and said I could reapply later…

Just curious but where are you based? From previous hacker news comments it sounds like toptal pays poorly for the U.S., ok for Western Europe, and really well for the rest of the world.

Pakistan :) but I know a dev from Switzerland whose rate is much higher than the US devs.. never heard him complain.

Honestly, all the devs I've spoken to at Toptal love working here, and I'm no exception. But you should really try it out.. at worst, you'll fail and you'd be exactly where you are right now.

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#113

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

k__ wrote: post #46
HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The single dev isn't charging enough?

Last time I told someone I want 100€ an hour he laughed at me. I charge per month, but it would be about 40€ an hour.

OTOH, the last time I told someone I wanted $200/hour, he said "if you can fix the problem today, I'll write you a check on the spot!"

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#114

Post by sdiq »

amingilani wrote: post #111
sdiq wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glad to know your story and I have been interested with trying them but haven't yet mustered the courage yet. Which languages/frameworks do you think are popular with the clients on Toptal. I am asking this because I am mostly interested in Java/Spring and I am not sure whether that would get me enough gigs? Should I move to Ruby/Rails, Python/Django, Javascript, etc?

It doesn't matter. Most of the clients I worked with didn't have a running operation before and wanted me to start with a framework I was most comfortable with and so I ran with Ruby on Rails. Had I been a Java/Spring dev, I would've used that. It's what YOU do that matters.

Thanks

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#115

Post by k__ »

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #113
k__ wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I told someone I want 100€ an hour he laughed at me. I charge per month, but it would be about 40€ an hour.

OTOH, the last time I told someone I wanted $200/hour, he said "if you can fix the problem today, I'll write you a check on the spot!"

Haha, yes.

A friend of mine took 80€ a hour but they only took like 20-30h a month.

I charged per month, got paid below 80€/h but ended up with much more than him.

But well, here are some people on HN who charge per hour AND get more absolute... so it's probably also a bit of luck?

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#116

Post by mattlohkamp »

I'm charging $75/hr for web app programming work, as a freelance front end developer, in a lead dev role. I'm working in Angular, Node.js, and using an Electron wrapper to adapt our web app to the desktop. The project is a sales tool for a big tech brand. I work from home, my coworkers are rad, and my boss is an angel.

This is the best contract dev position I've ever had, possibly the best I ever will have.

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#119

Post by chuck32 »

srednalfden wrote: post #106
chuck32 wrote: post #100

In the UK (not in london) as a freelancer in Ruby on Rails I charge £40 / hr. For contract jobs (you basically work exactly like a permanent employee but get paid as a freelancer - so no job security or benefits and contracts usually last 3 months - 1 year at most) i was paid between £300-350 / day. In London it seems the same type of jobs usually pay £400-450.

How is the market for Rails outside London? I've seen a few comments that said it's hard to find work outside the capital.

In Manchester there are plenty of opportunities for rails work. Also companies around here seem a lot more flexible about semi remote working i.e. you commute from Manchester to Liverpool/Sheffield/Leeds etc. once a week but work from home the rest of the time. In London remote working seems to be frowned upon and will at most be one day a week from home.

Re: Ask HN: How much are you earning as a freelance app developer?

#120

Post by throwawaytree »

trub wrote: post #86
throwawaytree wrote: post #11

I make $7 US dollars an hour designing and developing apps as a full-time employee. I’m paying off a new car, pay rent, and live quite a good life compared to others in my country (third-world country). Compared to other countries salaries, mine is awful. Compared to local salaries, it’s actually about 4x the minimum wage. The cost of living here is quite low (I pay 150$ per month for a single bedroom with bathroom).…

Anyway I could connect with you about app development? I can offer over 7$/hr

Sure, can you share an email?
Post reply on HN