Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with salary and freelance

marketer contract rate before full0time

umlaut — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:39:03 -0800

I wowed folks at my job interview for the full-time position being a webmaster / graphic designer / marketer. But they want me as a contractor first due to the economy. Thoughts on compensation? Folks at my job interview for a full-time position being their webmaster / graphic designer / marketer were "very impressed" with me. Their prior person was a jack-of-all trades and they feel I fit similarly. At the moment the current economy has them seeking me as a contractor – before the ultimate goal of me being full-time. They mentioned they had foreseen my requested salary of $60k at the job interview. It's not far off from this question, except adding the marketing and subtracting the coding. In the past, I feel I've been too flexible on pay in the interest of compromise and avoiding tough negotiation. Thoughts on discussing compensation with them (tomorrow morning)?

How much do PHP developers in NYC get paid?

defreckled — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:26:43 -0800

What's the going rate for a PHP developer in NYC? I'm not actually defreckled but am borrowing this account.

I work as a PHP developer in NYC with a couple of years experience. A contract agency wants to pay me $50/hour on a contract (1099) basis and my friends think I'm being ripped off. What is the going rate for developers in this area? How much do people get paid full time?

Moving from Freelance to Employee

conigs — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:17:05 -0800

I am currently a freelance film/video editor slash motion graphic designer. One of the companies I freelance for is in the process of making me a job offer. I'm trying to figure out what a fair salary/wage is compared to what I pull in as freelance. I realize there are many factors to take into account with benefits, reduced taxes, etc. (Location isn't a big deal as all the places I freelance for are within 5-7 miles from home.) But it's really difficult to see what I make in a year go down that much (even considering the above). Basically, it's looking like I'll take what I make freelance after taxes and use that as the basis for judging the offer (take that number, add back in taxes the company with withhold, then take off any benefits).

Have you gone through this? I'd love to hear what you decided on and how you came to that decision.

I'm making my full time web dev job into part time freelance work. How do I determine a rate?

keame — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:49:32 -0800

I'm making my full time web dev job into part time freelance work. How do I determine a rate? I'm a .net developer making 65k at a small company that recently lost a lot of it's developers. I'm leaving the position to pursue other entreprenureal opportunities, but let the management know that if they would like, I could work 10-15 hours a week off-site as a freelancer. How should I determine what my hourly rate should be? Advice I've gotten was hourly salary * 1.4 to compensate for the lost benefits, so around 40. Fair? Also, if important, they were disapointed in losing me, but not at all leaving on bad terms. Thanks for any advice.

Should I freelance or go on staff?

catesbie — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 08:43:27 -0800

Is there a rule of thumb about freelance rates vs. staff salaries? I've been freelancing full-time at the same company for awhile now. The company has just offered me the choice to take a staff position or remain freelancing pretty much indefinitely. On staff, I'd get two weeks' paid time off (this is in the US, as though you had to ask), a 50% 401K contribution match, and health insurance.

The only catch is that they'd drop my salary from $55K to $40K. I'm having a hard time figuring the math here. I know staff salaries are lower than freelance rates, but this seems drastic. Is there a general number used to figure out how much one's salary should reasonably decrease in these situations? Is there any financial reason for me not to remain a freelancer?