I’ve just seen too much going on with freelancing gigs and folks saying they would work for $10 per hour or $15 per hour…it’s getting to be a bit much, and undervaluing our job field. Take a gander at the Dept. of Labor (US Govt.) take on salary, hourly rates per geographic region and see what this kind of labor is truly worth. I understand the market/economy is rough, etc…so it would explain a drop in rates to a degree, but not the bottom of the barrel rates I’ve been seeing.
I don’t think that takes freelancing into consideration.
If you’re applying for a job at a studio, you can probably expect those numbers, but when you’re going indie, peddling your services on internet forums, you simply can’t expect the same wage or security of an established studio.
@khanstruct - Actually you’re hourly rate for freelance should be more than in a studio. In the studios I’ve worked at they’ve provided the computers, all software, the electricity, the water, the snacks, the building and air conditioning. They’ve also paid for half (or a percentage) of the medical and dental, vision, etc. With all of that said as a freelancer all of those things become your own expense. You have to pay for your own health insurance, your own rent for your workspace, your electricity, your water bill…you have to pay for all of your own software licenses and computer hardware to build assets. So a freelancer actually has to ask more to cover their own expenses, than the lower rate you’d get working within an established studio. I guess I was talking about experienced freelancers here, with several credits to their name and a few years experience in the industry. I mean who would want to hire someone without credits, without experience or someone who didn’t work in the industry very long? That sounds like taking an unnecessarily large risk on your project to me.
There’s been an average drop in household income of over 5% in the past three years. Unemployment’s been over 8% for the past three years (that number does not include those that can no longer claim benefits, were not able to claim benefits in the first place, were fresh out of school and never had the first job, etc, etc, etc, etc - so that number is well beyond double that amount). Each time the price of gas has gone up, the prices of everything has gone up. The prices of everything never go down when the price of gas goes down, but each time the price of gas goes up again - the prices of everything goes up again.
People may be trying to supplement income or it may be their only source of income. Given the potential saturation of the market with candidates…well…there will be a drop in rates.
You generally charge more when freelancing, because you have to pay for everything yourself, instead of the company typically paying at least partially for things like health insurance, social security, etc. So if you earn $20/hr working for a company, you’re probably “really” making $30/hr, so that’s what you would charge for freelance work.
There are of course other variables, such as maybe you only got the job because your dad’s the boss, and you’re not actually very good, in which case you’ll have a hard time convincing anyone else to pay for your work.
–Eric
Exactly.
This thread needed this. The Greeks knew it, Shakespeare knew it…many knew or know it. Thanks for this. 
$0.99c/hr !!!
I am kiddin’ 
I think like all things, this is all organic evolution/development - market will adjust itself if it doesn’t work.
The real problem is for those big studios/big corporations that’s still expecting big fat profit and holding out. They are the problem here. They are setting the inequality and stopping / slowing the organic development from moving forward. You might scratch your head and think what the hell am I talking about - but if you think about it - money is really just a concept - a relative term. 30 years ago the average income was $17,000 dollars a year that works out to be around $8.50 per hour. Just think about it - $10/hr you can live very comfortably 30 years ago! Now, due to “inflation” - some people start charging a bit more, and everyone follow suit, and the price just keep going up and up and up - and then now we are in the down turn - if EVERYONE start charging less, everything should equal out right? But that’s not the case because big corporations wouldn’t lower their price, but at the same time they would LOWER YOUR WAGE or simply lay you off.So now you have less money, while things are more expensive. There is always someone in the “chain” who is holding out, and that’s what cause the grieve all around.
Well I don’t think just because a market has a lot of potential candidates that it should undervalue the folks who have plenty of credits and experience and a strong portfolio ya know? I think a person is worth a rate if they have the experience, the portfolio and they’re good to work with. I don’t think this type of person should lower their rates because their are now a ton of garage developers out there. It’s kind of my angle when talking about the “undervaluing” of the market because of being flooded with these types. I literally saw a guy on here who charges $1 per asset (model, texture and animations). I mean what is that about? I saw another charging $10.00 per hour? I mean come on at these rates, you could go wash dishes at a local iHop or Dennys. No offense to either of these establishments, I eat at both.
You have to be a little flexible with your rates within reason, however if you’re good then you’ll be dealing with the sorts of people that wont have any problems budgeting and paying a good rate for your services. If you’re competing against people charging $10 an hour or less in your area/country and the people hiring are seriously considering those bids then chances are the job wasn’t worth it in the first place.
If you consider the potential benefits you would get from working at Denny’s, then it could go that way. Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25 an hour. Somebody charging $15 an hour is making twice min wage… and they’re doing it in a chair, with air conditioning, etc, etc - instead of slaving away in a hot, smelly kitchen…
If the guy charging more per hour is getting gigs, then they’re going to keep charging what they will. They would only adjust what they’re charging because they’re not getting gigs…
I agree with the OP. There is a flip side to this though. Don’t overcharge for amateur work.
Yeah I agree all good points.
Thinking about it more I suppose it’s more about what a client is budgeted to pay in the first place.
Charlies top freelancer tip of the day (#ctftotd (it will be a thing!)) Always charge too much. at least then someone can knock you down to a lower price, if not, you get more than you wanted!
‘Amateur work’ is a matter of perspective, and therefor is in the clients eyes to judge, if the client pays; being happy about it, it doesn’t matter about how much the work costs.
Yeah, point high that also serve you for discard people who will not pay what you want… or if you are willing to work, you can make a “discount” (or accept their conditions) but they should know that you are the one doing it… not because you are cheap, but because you want to work for them and they know how much you really cost… if not Imagine:
They are willing to pay you as a freelancer 80 per hour, you go and and the first you say is: give me 15 per hour… (hope all of you can see the problem there).
I understand that freelancers have to pay more, since they don’t have all the benefits and luxuries of a studio job. However, if I were looking to pay someone for work, my thought would be “That’s not my problem”.
If I had the money to pay employees, I would much prefer to do that. I don’t, and therefore outsource (because its less expensive).
On the other hand, if you’re really good and smart enough to deal with people then you will be in high demand and your rate goes UP. So my humble advice is: raise your level and your rate will follow gladly.
2 things, anyone charging a 1$ for asset will deliver crap work , or just take your money and run .
10$ an hour comes about since theirs a flood of kids with game dev degrees , many of which didn’t want to learn to program, so they have an game art degree. Once the get graduate and recognize that their isn’t a real demand for their skills, their willing to sell their skills for cheap or work for free as an intern( this is illegal in America, if you do any work which in turn helps your employer turn a profit or pursue a profit, your entitled to at least minimum wage). On the flipside of this , the most experienced artist tend to get let go first at the end of a project since their the most expensive to keep . The other lower paid artist who remain know just enough to clean up any bugs that come up right before the game ships .
Unless your a highly skilled programmer don’t expect a stable well paid job in the game industry Theirs just a massive surplus of labor now .
Always has been. With the global economy, you’re not only competing with all the young kids willing to work 80 hours a week for low pay, you’re also competing with all the people in China. Best just to concentrate on doing the best you can do, and if you’re in it for the money, make other plans.