Regardless of the quantity or duration, you have your reasons for wanting a freelance graphic designer as opposed to hiring a full-time graphic designer to bring on staff. To find designers, you also need to know how much freelance designers charge.
If you have done some research into the matter, you may have come across a wide range of rates; because each freelancer sets their own rates, what they offer for one project or client might vary from the rate offered to another project or client.
As frustrating as it might be to hear, there is no set rate that freelance graphic designers all charge. For example, one designer might quote you $150 per hour and another might quote you $2,000 for the entire project; each designer is free to establish their own rates.
Two Types of Rates
Freelance graphic designers use two different rate structures to estimate and charge for their time spent on a project:
Hourly Rates
Charging by the hour is the standard fee arrangement in the freelance world. Taking into consideration any and all factors, as well as the scope of your project, a freelance graphic designer might offer you an hourly rate. Rates can vary considerably.
- Beginner freelance designers charge $20 to $35 per hour.
- Intermediate freelance designers charge between $35 and $50 per hour.
- Advanced freelancers charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour.
Be sure to ask beforehand how long the freelancer expects the project to last. If an advanced graphic designer is quoting you $150 per hour for a project that they expect will take more than twenty-five hours, you will be paying roughly around $3,750.
Project-Based
This is a flat-fee provided by experienced freelance graphic designers who know how many hours, how much work, and how many resources will be needed to complete a project based on their previous experience.
Factors That Could Affect Your Cost
There are a multitude of factors that could contribute to the estimates you receive for a project, including:
Experience Level
Experience matters–a graphic designer who started their freelance business one year ago will not have a portfolio as extensive as someone that’s been at it for decades.
If your graphic designer is charging more than others, take a look at their qualifications, experience level, and how long they have been in the industry. Chances are, there is a correlation between their experience level and their rates.
Location
Keep in mind that a freelance graphic designer probably doesn’t have a stable income. Because they are freelancers, they might have ten projects locked in one month and none the following. While this is not the case with every freelance graphic designer, remember that some freelance graphic designers establish rates with their living expenses in mind.
A graphic designer living in Los Angeles might have higher living expenses than one residing in Iowa, so the location could impact what a freelance graphic designer might decide to charge.
Project Scope
What project do you need a graphic designer for? Are you looking for assistance with designing a logo, or do you need help designing business cards? Maybe you’re looking for illustrations for a book or magazine cover, or you need something more complex, such as a new website. The lengthier and more complex the project, the more you should expect to pay.
In Summary
The more complicated your project is, the more it is bound to cost.
When you approach freelance graphic designers with a project, you can expect some to quote an hourly fee with an estimated number of hours to finish the project, while others may give you a flat-fee proposal. Of course, to find the best possible freelance graphic designers to fit your project specifications, be sure to check out the wide range available on Guru!
Looking to find out how much it costs to hire an interior designer, instead? We’ve got you–check out our recent article.
