# Need help/How much does my work cost? **URL:** \ **Category:** random\ **Created:** [June 12, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051 "2008-06-12T05:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![white\_russian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@white\_russian](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/white_russian)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/1 "2008-06-12T05:10:23Z")
hello, everybody, I need help to determine how much should I charge my client for the projects i just got hired for. This is my first “big” client, before i did work only for friends or interns. I do not want to get underpaid or call him a high price(I am afraid he will just say no), but I am not familiar with real web/graphic freelance market prices. Here is 5 projects that need to be priced: 1. 8x6 Postcard for direct mail campaign- they provide me with text. The logo of the company should be developed also within this project. 2. Threefold broshure containing detailed info about the company - they provide me with text. 3. Newsletter - for one time email marketing campaign, containing info and offers for their prospective clients. They provide me with text. I need a price for creating one newsletter. 4. The invitation for their high level prospective clients. I am free to offer them the form and size for this invitation. 5. 10x10 and 10x20 feet exhibiton booth posters. All this projects should be created within one design concept. There is no deadline pressure - at least I am fine with offered time frames. Please help - what should I charge for this??? ---
**Author:** ![Anogar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Anogar](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Anogar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/2 "2008-06-12T05:19:40Z")
You should estimate how many hours each task will take. Average hourly rates vary wildly, but I’d say that between $40 - $200+ per hour is about the norm. Assuming that you’re just starting out, lets say you want to charge about $60 per hour. I’d break it down as follows, as an example. (Hourly estimates are totally random.) Postcard: 6 hours. $360. Brochure: 12 hours: $720. Newsletter: 4 hours: $240. Alright, lets say then that those are the only three projects you’re doing (for the ease of this post) - you would then present the client with each of those prices, and let them know that the total package will be $1320. At that point I would probably offer that, since they’re getting you for so many different projects, you’ll offer them a 10% discount, for a total price of $1188. You’ll also want to make sure that you get at least a 40%ish non-refundable deposit up from before the project starts, and you should also be sure to come up with a contract that outlines the responsibilities, as well as define the number of revisions that you will offer. Hope that helps a little. This should be a few thousand dollars. ---
**Author:** ![sekasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@sekasi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/sekasi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/3 "2008-06-12T13:44:37Z")
> [@Anogar;2341193](#): > > I’d say that between $40 - $200+ go check out the average rates on [getafreelancer.com](http://getafreelancer.com) They are like between 15 and 40 an hour 😛 People work for cheap. It’s just us snobs that charge much :laugh: ---
**Author:** ![DanontheMoon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/danonthemoon/32/7436_2.png) [@DanontheMoon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/DanontheMoon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/4 "2008-06-12T13:55:01Z")
Sounds like a fun project. :love: print design - it’s so easy, no coding! ---
**Author:** ![Anogar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Anogar](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Anogar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/5 "2008-06-12T18:03:38Z")
[quote=sekasi;2341354]go check out the average rates on [getafreelancer.com](http://getafreelancer.com) They are like between 15 and 40 an hour 😛 People work for cheap. It’s just us snobs that charge much :laugh:[/quote] Meeehh, I can’t imagine they’re good ones. I make more than that at my salaried job, ya know? :huh: ---
**Author:** ![shane\_c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@shane\_c](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/shane_c)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/6 "2008-06-12T18:09:24Z")
Yeah, like Anogar said, you need to first figure out how long each will take you, and then figure out what your time is worth - and you’re really the only one that can do that. There are “industry standards”, but they vary a lot, and are _usually_ dependent on skill, experience, and location. Do you have any idea what your client’s budget is? That may determine how much time you can spend on these projects, if they have a budget in mind. ---
**Author:** ![shane\_c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@shane\_c](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/shane_c)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/7 "2008-06-12T18:09:56Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![Theros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Theros](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Theros)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/8 "2008-06-12T18:11:42Z")
[quote=sekasi;2341354]go check out the average rates on [getafreelancer.com](http://getafreelancer.com) They are like between 15 and 40 an hour 😛 People work for cheap. It’s just us snobs that charge much :laugh:[/quote] Oh wow lol, I charge more than those people hahaha. ---
**Author:** ![sekasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@sekasi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/sekasi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/9 "2008-06-12T19:06:16Z")
> [@Anogar;2341193](#): > > Meeehh, I can’t imagine they’re good ones. No, not at all : ) But they get a lot of work because they are cheap. And people are cheap. It’s a winning combo! haha. ---
**Author:** ![Iamthejuggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Iamthejuggler](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Iamthejuggler)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 9:56am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/10 "2008-06-13T09:56:18Z")
Also a lot of them are from countries where the average salary is way lower than the us/uk. For example we recently outsourced a java job to the ukraine and the rates were ridiculously cheap compared to the uk. Also the work was of stellar quality. It is slightly worrying as a developer in the uk. If people get more comfortable with outsourcing to these cheaper countries how are we going to be able to compete whilst still earning decent rates. I guess we’ll have to rely on people’s reluctance to work so remotely with development teams. ---
**Author:** ![ajcates](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/ajcates/32/2435_2.png) [@ajcates](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/ajcates)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/11 "2008-06-13T10:43:49Z")
There will always be a local market, some people just can’t out sourcing, even out of there area. Some companies are starting to use local phone support because people just can’t handle the accent. ---
**Author:** ![rumblesushi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@rumblesushi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/rumblesushi)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/12 "2008-06-13T11:12:48Z")
Juggler, yes I find it a little worrying too. Even some web companies I know in Southern England outsource almost all their coding work to czechoslovakia. ---
**Author:** ![Digitalosophy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/digitalosophy/32/1114_2.png) [@Digitalosophy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Digitalosophy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/need-help-how-much-does-my-work-cost/263051/13 "2008-06-13T12:49:39Z")
Holy hell… I was just @ [getafreelancer.com](http://getafreelancer.com) for the first time! Are you serious? These guys are offering next to nothing for those projects. What freelancers need to keep in mind is **_you_** have to pay your own taxes and health insurance. So you best to be charging more then if you were at a place full time.