Average Freelancing & Consulting Hourly Rates 2021

They offer a high-quality service for a competitive price. To stay competitive and turn technologies into a growth driver, companies of all sizes resort to software consulting. However, despite the gender pay gap being a norm in most of the world, the percentage of hourly pay women earn seems to vary significantly. The table shows that men outearn women for $3 on average across industries – the only two industries where the difference is minimal ($1) are Design & Multimedia and Writing & Translation. The biggest difference ($14) is in the field of IT & Programming, where men earn $31 and women $17.

Before you set a price, ensure you understand everything that the project entails. If you’re offering a 1-hour consulting session, consider the amount of prep work necessary and if your client will be able to send any post-consultation follow-up questions. These might seem like small additions, but they can start to add up quickly. You pay a monthly fee in advance to have consultants on your team anytime you need them and ensure they help make the right decisions during some risky project.

What kind of fee structure should I use?

As a beginner consultant, you’re typically not working 40-hour weeks. Enter the average salary in a salary to hourly converter. Browse profiles, see prices and use filters to find pros who match your project. Find the best business consultant in your neighborhood. We are better today than we were yesterday, and tomorrow we will be better still.

Yes, your lack of confidence could make it more difficult for another consultant to make a fair living. The majority of consultants we polled (29.47%) are years old. 42.02% use contractors, but don’t employ anyone full-time. They are another fantastic way to create greater leverage in your business. Recurring revenue can provide a higher sense of security because you know you have predictable income coming in each month. 9.89% have tried a performance deal, but it did not work out well.

• A consulting fee is what a consultant charges for their services either as a freelance or a full-time consultant.
• But how can you convince clients to pay such a high number?
• That number can be as high or as low as those parties accept.
• They may save on employee hours, make more profitable decisions, and more.
• Remember that consulting rates shouldn’t be a decision you make on the fly.

Calculate how many hours you believe a project will take you. Account for each step of the project, including initial phone calls to get started, any follow-ups or revisions, or any other hurdles that may come your way. Charging per project eliminates the need to watch the clock while you’re working and can give you some extra wiggle room if you finish a project early. It also prevents clients from pressing you to get things done faster or questioning time spent on a project. The Consulting Rate Calculator spreadsheet should automatically do the math for you.

Restaurant Consulting Fees

For example, let’s say you wanted to make a gross salary of $60,000 per year. To calculate your hourly rate, you’d divide $60,000 by 52 (which is roughly $1,154), then divide that by 40 (which is $28.85). Then, mark that up 40%, which results in an hourly rate of about $40. The scope of work should be a large determinant of your rates, but pricing per hour or project is challenging to estimate. For example, it may be quicker for you to write a 2,000-word article for a company than to help produce a 5-minute podcast episode.

With InvoiceOwl, invoicing is a lot easier, and payments are a lot faster. Keeping this log will not only help you keep rates straight, but also help you identify when to raise rates and how you should approach the topic. However, if negotiations should happen with a client, you’ll know just how low you can it consulting rates go without digging into your own pocket. The next step involves taking a hard, objective look at where you fall in relation to other consultants in your field. For example, a client’s budget might not be able to afford you. Instead of altogether rejecting the client , steer the client towards negotiation.

Big thanks to you all for everything and I am really very happy. The team did a great job on the study and we’re looking forward to putting out the next one. Our Momentum program is for newer consultants who want to follow a step-by-step system to predictably and reliably get to 6-figures per year or more.

Consultant Monthly Earnings

I challenge you to take what you’ve learned here to make your consulting business better. 62.10% of consulting business owners have 1-3 full-time employees. 50% of consultants do not offer productized consulting but are interested in doing so. 41.44% of consultants don’t have any retainer-based work, but would like to. 42% of consultants have never tried value-based pricing because they don’t know how. And if you’re looking for hands-on coaching to implement value-based pricing in your consulting business, check out our Clarity Coaching Program.

They will do a thorough analysis of your existing systems, identify your pain points, and make recommendations for software that supports your business processes and helps your company grow. Once you’ve bagged a client, you need to ensure that you are paid promptly, which is why it’s always a good idea to use a reliable invoicing solution to automate your invoices and payment reminders. This way, you can focus on the value you’re offering and ensure you get paid promptly. You could double or triple your rate if you have appreciably more experience and expertise that can justify your rate in any niche. But if you’re trying to win your first client, you may need to consider what’s affordable for your prospects. Use the details within your CRM to explain rate changes to your clients.

Generally, IT consultants charge 10% of the value of what they’re providing. IT consulting prices start from $125 to $175 per hour, with the project cost from $50,000 to $5 million. While IT consultants in the United Kingdom charge $100 per hour, Ukranian specialists charge less for the same service. For instance, Cleveroad is also a medium-size software development company, but you will pay from $25 to $50. Now that you understand the different methods of setting your consulting rates, and have seen the average fees of several different industries, it’s time to figure out how and how much you will charge. When it comes to figuring out your own rates, there are a lot of other factors to consider!

Consulting Pricing Templates

They will answer all your questions, address your concerns and solicit your feedback at various stages of the development lifecycle. They will also document every step, and provide you with periodic reports. A good software consulting firm works with companies like yours to identify your software needs and make recommendations for implementation.

Ultimately, your rate depends on the mutual understanding between you and your client. Calculate your consulting retainer fee the same way you’d do your project rates—it’s essentially a comprehensive monthly project rather than smaller one-off assignments. Some consultants offer discounts for retainer fees as they’d prefer consistent income over hourly or per-project invoices.

The Hourly Method Formula For Setting Your Hourly Rate

The prices reflected in the article above are for informational purposes only and are subject to change at any time. Contact a professional near you to receive a personalized cost estimate for your project. Topics include setting and achieving business objectives, strengths assessment, market analysis, business planning, and more. Get free estimates from top-rated business consultants. We specialize in web and app development, with extensive experience in HIPAA-compliant healthcare software. According to ZipRecruiter.com, tech consultants in the US make an average of $36 per hour and more than $68.51 at the high end.

Average Consulting Rates by Industry in 2020 [Infographic]

A retainer is a fee paid in advance in order to secure or keep services whenever they’re required. We suggest talking to a tax professional before going into the consulting world. If you’re consulting as a side hustle to help some friends with their marketing, it might be OK just to claim the income as an independent contractor. But the more you consult, especially B2B, the greater your risk of being liable for legal action. Forming an LLC for your consulting business will protect your personal assets.

Most people don’t know it and that’s why they had to stop in the middle. You did a great job by mentioning the major factors that became hurdles . If a company overcome these obstacles, they’re more likely to grow. In the end, I just want to say you did a great job by sharing this article with people who are struggling with this. Read on to learn about what consultants are doing with their consulting fees — and learn how to earn more revenue in your business. The old maxim, “You get what you pay for,” doesn’t apply to consulting work anymore.

I’ve recently joined a specialist consultancy (small team 50+) part of an international consultancy and advisory organisation. Here are three action items for you if you’re serious about raising your rates and increasing your revenue. 75.15% of consultants we polled are male, and 25.8% are female. Here are the demographic data from our list of 30K+ of independent consultants and small consulting firm owners. 19.01% haven’t and would not lower their fees to win clients. A performance deal is where you are paid based on the performance of your work.

There are a number of calculators available online that help you find how much you should expect to pay in taxes. However, these calculators use your net income––meaning they don’t become useful until after you’ve already been paid. The Consulting Rate Calculator should automatically pull your total monthly expense cost from the “Expenses” page to the “Hourly Rate Calculator” page. You may also want to check out some other consultants’ websites. Kaitlin is an editor at Square where she covers everything from how small businesses can start, run, and grow, to how enterprise companies can use tools and data to become industry leaders. Join 300,000+ entrepreneurs worldwide in learning the latest insights & tips you need to build a game-changing business.