What price should I put on my Graphic Design Jobs? That seems to be a question that always stumps newbies when they’re first starting out.But that’s what I’m here for, to do the research on this so that you don’t have to.No one wants to over price their work, but then again, no one wants to be underpaid for the hard work that they do.

I can see your student debt growing larger with every second that I’m wasting so let me just start already. First off, always get paid upfront first, even if it’s in small intervals. This is to make sure that your client doesn’t run off or cancel last minute, when you’ve already started a project. Secondly, know exactly who you’re getting involved with, because the last thing you want when starting out is bad business.

So, before we even start talking about how much you should charge discussing bad clients is of utmost importance. If you meet a client who is making false promises and refuses to pay upfront, turn them away. Don’t put up with them because you think you’re an amateur and you don’t have enough experience to refuse people. Those are lies and insecurities that will make you suffer in the long run.

Payment. There are two types of payment that freelance designers usually go by, either a flat out price for the entire design or hourly payments. At first, flat out prices might not work as well for you, perhaps your estimates for how long it will take to do a project will be off. But, with experience your estimates will get increasingly more accurate. Clients like flat out prices better than hourly payments because they feel like they’re not getting scammed.

Start off with your numbers a little low, not crumbs, but not too high either, once you get to the point where you’re completely booked then you know it’s time for a change. Raise your prices, do this again and again and slowly watch your business prosper. 

Hourly prices, that is a fun topic. It’s slightly more complicated than giving an estimated price for the whole thing, but I’m sure you can do it. If you’re going to use this version though I suggest you give a clear timeline of your step by step process for your client and don’t waste any time screwing around. This will ease any anxiety they have of you cheating them out of their money. But this all depends on your own personal style of payment, try them both. See which one you and your clients like best.

Hopefully this helped you in your freelancing journey. Thanks for stopping by!