What is a fair hourly rate for IT Support Engineer as a Freelancer?

[Net3]

Let say that i'm getting paid between 25-30$/h and i need your help on how to increase it

 

- Im not working full time (160h/m) more like 20-40h per month or as needed
- they do not cover my tax
- or my pension
- I do not get paid for being sick aka not getting paid for sick leave

- no paid vacations,
- they do not cover a meal cost
- not getting any compensation or bonuses 
 

Is that fair pay? I personally think i could get paid between 50-100$ for that very reason

I have skills; in servers, networking, Linux, cloud, and so on... I do not think im the best, but at lesat very good or at least good enough to get the work done. 

 

What are your opinions on that thing as a whole, because I am pretty new in the space of contracting and freelancing. I know I should have negotiated a little bit better, but I will do better next time.

[Avocado Diaboli]

I know this might come across as a bit condescending, but if you think about it, you already know the answer. First off, you feel like you don't make enough. Second, you have all the variables for your calculation to justify the rate you want to charge. You know your expenses, you know how much you need to make a living off the time you invest into that work, so that's how much you should charge. You'll eventually brush up against the realities of free market capitalism, where someone else is offering their services for less than what you charge. Then it's your call to make if you still insist on working in that field or move on to something else.

[Net3]

On 3/26/2023 at 10:33 AM, TechlessBro said:

Where are you based?

 

what is the average salary listing for full time work pay. Then work out what it is after tax and extras. Add 30% and call yourself a consultant.

Im in Europe, but they are going by an American salary or hourly rate, hence American company/corporation, but they are contracting another firm which is contracting me basically.

 

I understand that im not full time and just freelance as needed. 

But they have SLA agreements and they want you to be ready to go fix things the next day if they are really bad, which well i could on holidays at that time or in another country, i dont get any compensation for being ready to go there at any time they want if you want I mean, almost like i firefighter i think, if that even was a good example

I'd guess it is between 4.5k - 7k a month or 55k-85k a year for that position -full time

[Net3]

On 3/26/2023 at 10:25 AM, Avocado Diaboli said:

You'll eventually brush up against the realities of free market capitalism, where someone else is offering their services for less than what you charge. Then it's your call to make if you still insist on working in that field or move on to something else.

Yeah, I fully get it. I don't think there is a problem with how much I'd charge really, beaause I saw big money going around already and in my pocket, but might just say I was a bit lucky and at the right place at the right time, It's maybe hard to negotiate for me sometimes, i guess i really need something like a book to open my mind and broaden the perspective. 

 

Like the one thing i dislike is they keep calling at random times in private, like I want to charge once it adds up cos it's frustrating, they can write sms or email, and not waste my time:) (internal calls)

another one is that i absoluitely do not know how to handle; for example they want me to work for 3h then there is a pause for 2h and then continue with the work

but i dont have work in that time while im there for 2h and they wont pay me for that so im kinda wasting mine time, because i need to be there more than i would really need to.

and i'd charge that because i need to ready and i cannot just go doing whatever or going wherever. 

 

and the last one is funny one they call it a normal practice, they say they are paying me an hourly rate, but they cap me at 6h in total, if i work for a full day (8h) i dont get paid for the last two hours and i dont know if that is true or not but i call it bs.

they pay however just for me to show up - up to 2h immediately. which goes like this - me showing up - getting 2h of pay, after two hours if i am still there the additional pay resume

so if im there for 3h i get 3h paid

if I am there for just 1h I get 2h paid

 

and it's not like they are paying me an hourly rate from 1st minute onward + (an additional 2h when i show up) that's not how it goes there. 

it's weird and they call that a benefit lmao

who in the IT space shows up for 1h and wastes probably 1h in total to commute there and back just to get paid 2h instead of 1h. 

see here is where im totally lost. 

 

Im also fully responsible if something breaks I need to pay that, like there was basically no legal protection for me whatever in the contract, but for them

and supposedly what ive seen on glassdoor i am on the lowest spectrum 

which is well not even a full-time

 

i know i only complain here, but the truth is i just want more insight into everything, maybe i should ask all of that them instead

[Lurking]

In a free market and voluntary exchanges, your hour is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. If you find someone willing to pay you $100, that tis what it is worth. 

 

Go around and try to get better offers and take the best one. 

 

A contract/freelance person IMHO at least should get twice the rate an employee gets. You don't get paid training, vacation, sick days etc. but again, how much you are worth is decided by the employer. 

 

That seems to be a horrible place to work for. Just go elsewhere. They seem so bad, just a little raise isn't gonna cut it.