web designer wage

[JJJeez]

i like designing web sites but i dont know if i want to go into it as i dont know how much a web designer gets payed, anyone know? dont just say "it depends"

[Intensity]

Start off charging per project. Your hourly rate will rise with your increased productivity. Check around in your area and find website designers and see how much they are charging. If you can't find it, call them up and get quotes. If your website design skill level is up to par and you can compare yourself to those web designers, then charge that much.

[sparq]

$10 / hr upto $100 / hr

[jmaresca2005]

yes, as you do get experience, your wage does go up. i totally agree with charging per project then setting your hourly wage once you have a strong enough resume to back that hourly wage. Usually after about 3 years of design you will be able to get $35 - $40 an hour doing consulting work but make sure you know at least 1 server-side scripting language like asp or jsp, and learning some simple sql queries (Select & Insert)will help too. Selects for searchs and logins and inserts form forms.

[buntine]

I also recommend you ask for a percentage (I ask for 20%) upfront. This will finance the project and keep you motivated. Acknowledge the risk involved with this, though. Ensure you can successfully complete the project.

You need to analyse your ongoing costs, and then charge accordingly so you can make a profit (don't get too greedy).

Regards.

[Intensity]

It is also good to set a maxium hours of work that you will allot towards a project just in case the customer feels like playing God with the website and wanting to change things around at will. I state an hourly wage I will use from that point on.

Other limits you might want to add:
- Maximum amount of pictures
- Maximum amount of text per page
- Advised what is in scope and what is not (Example: Flash, any interactivity, converting from print to digital format, scanning, photography, research, delay costs)

Your CSA needs to have a defined line, and if the customer steps over it, you charge. Otherwise YOU pay.

[Lightfoot82]

Hi there,

When i first started, I did work for free just to build up mu portfolio then I began charging £10 and hour and now I charge higher rates because i have more experience and a larger portfolio.

[scragar]

anywhere between £20/hour to £70 per hour depending upon the customer(and how much he/she can afford, taking into acount the help they will need in the future)

[selbourne]

well if you know the scope of the work then u could charge the client a lumsum. It makes the client more comfortable to know how much is he going to pay. And more likely that you would get the job for urself

[crh3675]

Hourly rates mean nothing to a client. They all compare hourly rates but one developer that can do 4 hours of programming that would take another developer 1 hour to do that is twice as good is more valuable. Fix your prices per project. If a client asks for an hourly rate, tell them no less than $50/hr but explain to them that you do projects at fixed prices. I charge $75/hr for all development but prefer to arrange fixed prices for projects.

[Nevermore]

A lot of people have said anything up to $100 and hour, but this isn't quite right. If you're very good and can get on of the more demanding contracts - doing a small part of a government site is a good one - the rates can go much higher. This is basically due to a lack of competition - Government sites can normally only be done by carefully vetted designers with varied skills. The LSC, part of the UK Government, recently contracted part of their site out to a designer I keep in contact with for £230/hour!
Fame, I suppose, would be the other way to get extortionate prices; Zeldman probably beats me slightly, and would just because of this (nevermind his impressive skills).

[buntine]

A lot of people have said anything up to $100 and hour, but this isn't quite right.

The reality is, there is no right or wrong when it comes to charging. Your a freelancer -- charge whatever the hell you want to charge!

You just need to weigh out your costs and then decide on a fair pricing scheme.

Regards.