Brian Krogsgard wrote this article a while back, but it’s very worth linking to because it gives good price information for freelancers. Specifically:

• Beginner freelancer: $25-$40 per hour
• Intermediate freelancer: $40-75 per hour
• Good, experienced freelancer: $75 – $125 per hour
• Excellent, in demand freelancer: $125 – $175 per hour
• Specialist, best in industry: $175 – $400 per hour

Of course these prices are debatable. For example, I’d say $40 or less per hour is “I don’t know what I’m doing” freelancer, because, as I’ve argued, it’s virtually impossible to make a living at those rates once you factor in the overhead all freelancers deal with.

Nevertheless, giving a broad outline understanding of what counts as industry standard should be very helpful for developers struggling to set their rates. And I’ve linked clients directly to Brian’s article as a succinct way of explaining why I won’t work for the $25 or $30 or $50 or whatever per hour they’re sometimes hoping to pay me. (Again, these conversations are mostly of the “We’re not a good fit, and you should probably readjust your expectations” variety. If a potential client is haggling with you on rates, it’s a Bad Sign.)

Knowledge is power!

Image credit: georgivar

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