What Is My Time Worth?

There are two questions that eventually come up in just about every conversation about freelance work: “How much is this going to cost me?” and “How do you get paid?” Both deserve straightforward answers. My rate can change depending on the circumstances of a project, but the reasoning behind it doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how I think about the value of my time, what influences what I charge, and how I handle billing once the work begins.

Hourly Rate

Putting a price on your own time is strange. There’s no magic formula that tells you exactly what an hour of your experience is worth, and the answer isn’t necessarily the same for every project. The rate that makes sense depends on the work, the commitment, the stability it provides, and what I’m giving up to take it on.

Over the years, I’ve learned to think less about finding the hourly rate and more about finding the right rate for the situation.

So, what does my hourly rate depend on?

A short project that fills an unexpected opening in my schedule is very different from a six-month commitment that prevents me from taking other work. So rather than asking, “What do I charge per hour?” I think the better question is, “What is this hour worth under these circumstances?”

Four factors have an especially large influence on that answer: availability, stability, certainty and trade-offs.

Availability

My availability has value. If I have an opening between larger projects, taking on a smaller engagement can make sense at a different rate than it would when my schedule is already full. Likewise, a project that requires nights, weekends, a quick turnaround, or setting aside other opportunities asks for something more than the hours that appear on an invoice.

In other words, when you need my time can matter just as much as how much of it you need.

Stability

There’s value in knowing what comes next. A longer engagement with predictable hours gives me something a two-week project can’t: stability. It allows me to plan ahead and spend less time looking for the next project.

I’m willing to account for that value in my rate. A client who can offer consistent work over several months may pay less per hour than someone who needs a handful of hours on short notice. A lower rate doesn’t necessarily mean the work is worth less—the stability itself has value.

Certainty

Certainty is about how much risk I’m being asked to absorb. The better defined a project is, the more confidently I can estimate the work and price my time. A detailed project plan, established requirements, clear responsibilities, and known technical constraints all reduce uncertainty.

The payment structure matters too. If I’m paid for every hour I work, the client assumes much of the risk when requirements change or unexpected problems arise. With a fixed-price project, that risk shifts toward me. If something takes twice as long as expected, I may still receive the same amount, so the rate has to account for that uncertainty.

Certainty can also come from the relationship itself. A client who regularly brings me work, communicates clearly, pays reliably, and has an established way of working with me removes many of the unknowns that come with a new engagement. I know what to expect, and that makes the work easier to price.

The more certainty a project provides, the less I need to price for the things I can’t predict.

Trade-offs

Not everything I value in a project shows up on an invoice. As I continue to grow my independent portfolio, I place real value on projects I’m proud to showcase and clients who are comfortable letting me tell the story of the work.

There can be other considerations, too. A project might lead to an ongoing relationship, introduce me to new opportunities, or simply be something I genuinely want to work on. When a project offers value beyond the paycheck, I’m willing to take that into account.

Sometimes the right opportunity is worth more than the highest rate.

Keeping the business side simple.

For freelance projects, I prefer to handle billing through Upwork. There are fees involved, but the platform gives us a shared place to manage the contract, track time or milestones, process payments, and maintain a record of the engagement.

For you, that means a familiar payment process with clear records of the work and payments. For me, it means less time creating invoices, chasing payments, and managing administration. We both get to spend more of our time focused on the actual project.

What happens next?

Once we’ve agreed on the project, scope, and how the work will be billed, I’ll set up the engagement through Upwork. You don’t need to search for me, post a job, or sort through proposals.

1. I’ll send you the contract.
I’ll create the contract in Upwork based on what we’ve agreed to. Depending on the project, this may be hourly or structured around fixed-price milestones.

2. You’ll review and accept it.
You’ll receive an invitation from Upwork where you can review the terms, set up your account if necessary, add your payment information, and accept the contract. Nothing starts until we’re both comfortable with the arrangement.

3. We’ll manage the work through Upwork.
For hourly projects, I’ll track the time spent on the project. For fixed-price work, we can divide the project into milestones with clearly defined deliverables. Upwork gives us a shared record of the contract, work, and payments.

4. We’ll close out the project.
Once the work is complete, we can close the contract and leave feedback about the experience. The project then becomes part of my Upwork work history as well.

That’s really it. Upwork handles much of the administrative machinery in the background while you and I can focus on the part that actually matters: getting the project done.