Not sure whether you’re charging too much or too little as a freelancer? In this post, I share some of my favourite resources for researching freelance rates, comparing pricing in your industry, and building the confidence to charge sustainably.
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One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “How much should I charge as a freelancer?”
The honest answer is that there isn’t one perfect rate.
Every freelancer is different. Your experience, industry, location, specialist skills and the value you bring all play a part in deciding what you charge.
That said, there are plenty of ways to sense-check your rates and make sure you’re charging responsibly without undervaluing yourself or the industry.
Here are some of the resources I recommend.
There isn’t a “perfect” freelance rate
Before we dive into specific resources, I think it’s important to remember that there is no universal fee that every freelancer should charge.
What matters is finding a rate that’s sustainable for your business, reflects your experience and allows you to deliver great work.
The resources below aren’t definitive pricing guides. Most rely on freelancers voluntarily sharing their rates, which means they can naturally be skewed towards people who feel confident about what they charge.
Even so, they’re an excellent place to start.
YouKnowJuno
One of my favourite resources is YouKnowJuno.
Each year they publish a guide showing freelance rates across a wide range of industries, giving you a useful snapshot of what people are currently charging.
Whether you’re charging hourly or daily rates, it’s a helpful benchmark if you’re reviewing your own pricing.
LondonFreelance.org
Another brilliant resource is LondonFreelance.org.
I particularly like this one because freelancers anonymously share what they were actually paid for commissions and projects.
If you’re pitching articles, photography, writing or other creative work, you can often find real examples of what publications have recently paid.
It’s one of the closest things you’ll find to real-world market rates.
IPSE
IPSE is the UK’s membership organisation for freelancers, contractors and the self-employed.
Alongside campaigning on issues that affect freelancers, they also publish annual reports that include information about freelance earnings and rates across different industries.
Even if you’re not a member, they’re well worth following for industry updates and insights.
Reddit can be surprisingly useful
Although it’s not an official source, I’ve found some of the discussions in the UK freelance communities on Reddit genuinely useful.
People are often very open about what they’re charging and how they arrived at those figures.
Like any online discussion, it’s worth taking individual comments with a pinch of salt, but they can provide useful context alongside more formal reports.
Compare local rates
It’s also worth researching freelancers who work in your local area.
Someone based in London may have very different overheads from someone working elsewhere in the UK, so local comparisons can sometimes give you a more realistic picture.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you should charge less if you live outside London, but it does provide useful context when you’re deciding where your own pricing sits.
Use a pricing calculator
One tool I often recommend is Sally Farrant’s pricing calculator.
It allows you to input your own figures and gives you an estimate based on your business costs and income goals.
Rather than simply copying someone else’s rates, tools like this help you understand what you actually need to charge to run a sustainable business.
Remember the confidence gap
One thing I find particularly interesting when looking at freelance rates is the difference in what different people feel comfortable charging.
Historically, men have often charged more than women for similar work, and I think that’s something many of us can reflect on.
I know it’s certainly something I continue to think about in my own business.
Pricing isn’t just about numbers. Confidence plays a part too.
A quick recap
If you’re reviewing your freelance rates, here are the resources I’d recommend exploring:
- YouKnowJuno’s annual freelance rates guide.
- LondonFreelance.org.
- IPSE’s annual reports.
- Discussions in the UK freelance communities on Reddit.
- Sally Farrant’s pricing calculator.
- Researching freelancers in your local area.
No single source will tell you exactly what to charge, but together they can give you a much clearer picture of the market and help you price your services with more confidence.
If you’d like to talk through your pricing with other freelancers, come and join us in the community on Discord or Facebook. We’d love to help you sense-check your rates and build a business that’s both sustainable and profitable.
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