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Independent consulting prices

lalooshlaloosh Member Posts: 20 ■□□□□□□□□□
in IT Jobs / Degrees
Since I don't have any professional experience and can't seem to get a job without it, I figure I've got nothing to lose by creating my own opportunities for experience.

So I'm curious to know who has done this, and more importantly, what is considered a reasonable rate. Do you charge by the hour? By the type of service provided?

I checked out the Geek Squad and it looks like they charge flat rates anywhere from $49.99 to $299.99. I'm just trying to gauge what would be a fair starting point.
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    netBoogernetBooger Member Posts: 45 ■■□□□□□□□□
    When I did consulting for a short period of time I charged $30 an hour as a base rate. Then beyond just the basic stuff the price varied.
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    xenodamusxenodamus Member Posts: 758
    Depends on what exactly you mean by consulting. What is it that you plan on doing? I do PC repair/Network stuff on the side and charge $50/hr if I have to work onsite.
    CISSP | CCNA:R&S/Security | MCSA 2003 | A+ S+ | VCP6-DTM | CCA-V CCP-V
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    NetAdmin2436NetAdmin2436 Member Posts: 1,076
    Generally whatever you would want to make per hour as a full time employee with full benefits, you double it as a contractor. So if you'd be comfortable with $15/hr full time, then charge $30/hr as a contractor, since you have to pay for your own benefits, taxes, social security and all that jazz.

    I don't know about your experience and background, but I'd say $30/hr would be a good starting point for someone just starting out. I wouldn't go any lower than that though, you don't want to seam 'too cheap'.

    For reference, I have roughly 7 years experience and have my certifications (listed to the left) and I charge $50/hr to a handful of small businesses.
    WIP: CCENT/CCNA (.....probably)
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    lalooshlaloosh Member Posts: 20 ■□□□□□□□□□
    For now my focus will be mostly on in-home troubleshooting, installation, repair, etc. Nothing too complicated, since I'm not really qualified to do much other than the basics right now.

    I'm guessing cost of living is a big factor. I live just north of Los Angeles (still in L.A. County), and I had people telling me $75/hour would be low-balling myself.
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    Hyper-MeHyper-Me Banned Posts: 2,059
    Just tell clients that you will undercut their current provider by 10-15%.
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