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Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

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Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#2

Post by uid »

There is a lot of work out there at the moment. I got back into consulting work as a freelancer two weeks ago and filled up my schedule within a couple of days after sending a single email to 5 or 6 contacts.

I am working on backend Python, frontend Javascript (Backbone, etc.) and general startup product consulting. Charging $700 per day (which I think is low, but I wanted to accept some work), based in Asia and clients in the USA (West Coast)

Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#3

Post by condorr »

uid wrote: post #2

There is a lot of work out there at the moment. I got back into consulting work as a freelancer two weeks ago and filled up my schedule within a couple of days after sending a single email to 5 or 6 contacts. I am working on backend Python, frontend Javascript (Backbone, etc.) and general startup product consulting. Charging $700 per day (which I think is low, but I wanted to accept some work), based in Asia and clie…

Where did you find your contacts? People who you've previously worked with? I'd be interested in how those rates compare with say freelancing at oDesk or vWorker.

Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#4

Post by rglover »

Depends on what you're "freelancing." As a designer, it tends to waiver based on the project but generally I'll either charge an hourly rate of $60, or, just price out the project as a total lump sum. Everyone has their own way, but I tend to go the route that makes it easiest for the client as well as a good move for my bank account.

Two of my favorites for figuring out an hourly rate or how much to charge as a whole:

http://freelanceswitch.com/rates/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/14/quality-price-rat...

Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#5

Post by nicksergeant »

Front-end development work and Django back-end work, $85/hr. Also do basic Ubuntu setup for a typical Django-based site from scratch. Based in Rochester, NY. My clients are all over the place - NYC, SF, BOS, but very few are in close proximity to Rochester.

Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#6

Post by jasonkester »

This would probably work better as a poll or an offsite, anonymous survey. I don't think you'll get very accurate results from limiting yourself to the small fraction of developers who:

  - don't mind disclosing their salary in public

  - don't have any co-workers, employers, or clients who read this site

  - have a single fixed rate that they charge everybody

  - don't plan to change their rate in the future

  - make enough to not feel silly disclosing their rate in public

  - don't make so much that they'll feel like they're just bragging
I'd personally be happy to tick a box, but I'm not going to quote my rate here.

Re: Ask HN: Current freelancer and consulting rates survey

#10

Post by byoung2 »

uid wrote: post #2

There is a lot of work out there at the moment. I got back into consulting work as a freelancer two weeks ago and filled up my schedule within a couple of days after sending a single email to 5 or 6 contacts. I am working on backend Python, frontend Javascript (Backbone, etc.) and general startup product consulting. Charging $700 per day (which I think is low, but I wanted to accept some work), based in Asia and clie…

Charging $700 per day...based in Asia and clients in the USA (West Coast)

Where in Asia? That rate could go a long way in the Philippines or Thailand, or not very far in Hong Kong or Singapore.

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