Fair hourly rate on Odesk?

29 replies
I recently signed up for Odesk and was wondering how much you guys charge there? (if indeed you work there)
I just want to get a fair estimate of what I should charge per hour.
I am an article writer, and a good one in my honest opinion. I am not expert, but I am creative, smart and grammatically correct.
I have gotten good feedback from my sample article.
I was thinking along the lines of 20$ an hour? Seem fair?
Also, once I start getting more customers and become established, can I change the price? No, I'm not greedy, I just want to know what to charge in case the price becomes locked.

Thanks,
Daniel
#fair #hourly #odesk #rate
  • Profile picture of the author Patrick
    The price is not locked. You can change it in the future.

    Since you are new there, you wont have any ratings or feedback so my suggestion would be to start with a little lower rate, and then as and when your profile gets stars and feedback, then you can slowly increase your rates.

    Good Luck.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3184400].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wanna-succeed
      What about A starting number???
      Signature

      No sig, good day m8...

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3184443].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DeborahDera
    Originally Posted by wanna-succeed View Post

    I recently signed up for Odesk and was wondering how much you guys charge there? (if indeed you work there)
    I just want to get a fair estimate of what I should charge per hour.
    I am an article writer, and a good one in my honest opinion. I am not expert, but I am creative, smart and grammatically correct.
    I have gotten good feedback from my sample article.
    I was thinking along the lines of 20$ an hour? Seem fair?
    Also, once I start getting more customers and become established, can I change the price? No, I'm not greedy, I just want to know what to charge in case the price becomes locked.

    Thanks,
    Daniel
    As a writer, I would never, ever charge by the hour. You should have a flat rate per article and hammer out the details with your clients, even if you have to fill in an hourly rate.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3184564].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
      Originally Posted by DeborahDera View Post

      As a writer, I would never, ever charge by the hour. You should have a flat rate per article and hammer out the details with your clients, even if you have to fill in an hourly rate.
      Agreed. Some articles take me longer to write than others so there would be less content delivered for the same rate. It's much easier to get paid per article, so you both know what will be supplied for a specific amount of money. Can you negotiate for a per-article rate instead of an hourly rate? If you write 2 articles an hour, and charge $10 per article, then there's your $20 per hour.
      Signature

      Expert content written by an experienced veterinarian and published magazine and newspaper writer.
      Feel free to contact me for details.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185312].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author pugsy
    i think $20 per hour is ok but i do agree you should charge per article.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185324].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tamalanwar
    Hi so many people at odesk work on hourly as article writers, but trust me $20 is way too much for an article writer in odesk. Hey I'm not de-motivating you, saying what's the truth.

    People browse at odesk for providers in the Philippines and India who charge less for everything; such as graphic designers go from $5-$10. Article writers even low like $1-2/hr.

    I am a web designer and it is hard for me to charge $20, even if I have track record, hundreds of hour work sheet and 50s of feedback.. so many people there like to hire for less and less.

    If you go outside of odesk, and offer service on your own, you can sure target high paying customers. Thanks
    Signature
    Tamal Anwar C.
    I transform old outdated 1990s/2000s websites
    into a fresh site of present time
    Learn How
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185341].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author shuvo
    $20 is too much per hour for an article writer.If you are a newbie in odesk then you should charge between $2 to $4 per hour.When you completed some projects then gradually increase your per hour rate.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185555].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
      Originally Posted by shuvo View Post

      $20 is too much per hour for an article writer.
      No it's not.
      Signature

      Expert content written by an experienced veterinarian and published magazine and newspaper writer.
      Feel free to contact me for details.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186014].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    Posting an ad here in the warrior for hire section will get you better clients than if you're looking at odesk.

    Like many have said here, odesk is used for cheap cheap work.

    When I'm looking to pay $1 per article I look at odesk. When I'm looking for a well crafted converting product review I look here on warrior forum.

    Also it's true that you should charge per article. Take a look here on the warrior for hire section and you can get an idea of what people are charging here.

    Also keep in mind that at odesk there are still people who will pay more, but if you don't have any ratings at all, those people will almost never give you a chance. If you offer someone a really good deal, in return for a glowing review it will be worth it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185579].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wanna-succeed
      This is all good advice, but in the sign-up process there are 4 steps, and in the 2nd I believe they are asking me to post the hourly rate at which I would like to work by....
      So basically, I don't see how I could charge per article on Odesk, unless someone knows a way around this or has done it before.
      Signature

      No sig, good day m8...

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185984].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    It's a while since I signed up on Odesk, but from memory, you do need to specify your hourly rate when you sign up. That shows up on your profile.

    After that, you bid on jobs and for each job you specify what you're bid is, whether it's an hourly rate or a per article rate. I have set an hourly rate on Odesk, but when I bid on a job, I bid per article. I think most buyers set up writing gigs as per article rather than per hour.
    Signature

    Expert content written by an experienced veterinarian and published magazine and newspaper writer.
    Feel free to contact me for details.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186011].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ouroboros
    I hate to burst your bubble, but I feel $20/hr. is unrealistic at Odesk unless you can write 5 500 word articles/hour. The competition is really tough there.
    Signature

    Need a Simple Product/Service to Market to Offline Clients? Sell Them DFY Custom Videos. https://www.fiverr.com/users/gigsiteguy

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186025].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author imediazone
    Banned
    I would say that you should start with no more than 10 $ per hour, because 20 $ it is too much, a programmer or web designer asks this kind of prices, and believe me, programming is more harder than article writing.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186046].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Gossimer
    I have contracted and hired many talents on oDesk. I have hired many article and blog writers, the problem with the cheap writers on oDesk is that their examples of their work and applications for the job are totally different than the quality of the article, you get articles that do not make any sense at all. Some of them are spun articles and some are just copied from other internet sources. I was hiring writers that charged higher fees, $10 for 500 word article, but these ended up being the same, low quality. I stopped looking to oDesk for writers, now I find them here in the Warrior Forum.



    If you are looking for steady income through writing, just an idea for you. But, you could be a blog writer, I have a few that take care of some of our blog writing. I have them on a PayPal subscription; they earn a constant steady income. They have other clients as well, and they probably make more money than I do...
    Signature

    CEO of Gossimer, A Domain Name and Web Hosting company - Try our new WebSite Builder

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186132].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    Gossimer, you're exactly right there. I've had people write for my sites for $10-15 an article and they've been very ordinary indeed. Price doesn't guarantee quality. Like you, I have also had writers send me great samples, and then their work has been completely different.

    Price doesn't mean quality. It's been said before on a lot of threads in WF that you have to try a lot of writers before you find a good one. When you do, pay them well and keep them working with you. I'd gladly pay $20 an hour or $10 an article if I could use it as is without correcting the spelling or rewriting half of it.

    Wanna-succeed, you might find it easier to get started in the writing game by posting a Warrior for Hire thread, or a Warrior Special Offer, rather than competing with people on Odesk.
    Signature

    Expert content written by an experienced veterinarian and published magazine and newspaper writer.
    Feel free to contact me for details.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186158].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wanna-succeed
      Indeed, I have already offered myself as a candidate for 3 different jobs on the WF.
      Odesk is a pain in the rear end, setting all that stuff up... Takes up too much time. Hopefully I'll get a backlink for it.
      Regarding the quality, I really believe in my writing skills, they are very good.
      I don't really care who I work for, where I do the work and what I write about, as long as people are honest and pay me on time.
      On odesk, there is a structure that ensures payment. Is there such a thing on the WF?:confused:
      I don't mean to criticize, but I just want some guarantees of getting paid for my hard work.
      Maybe you guys are right, that this is the place to be hired for writing. I have my sample article laid out before everyone and there is that common level of trust between warriors.
      I'll let you know how everything developes.
      Thanks for the help!
      Signature

      No sig, good day m8...

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186282].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    Odesk is a nuisance, you have to do a "readiness test" and you can also do other tests to prove you're any good. Its' a lot of work just so you can compete with writers who charge a pittance.

    There's no guarantees on WF. I hired a writer once and paid up front, she never delivered. The only time I heard from her was when she responded to my paypal dispute to say she'd delivered the work. Paypal took her side, and she disappeared again. Having said that, I've found most people are honest, and as a writer, I've never not been paid for my work.
    Signature

    Expert content written by an experienced veterinarian and published magazine and newspaper writer.
    Feel free to contact me for details.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186350].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I've never used odesk but did a lot of work on elance for a while. Most freelance sites require you to list an hourly figure in your profile - but you can still charge by the article.

      $15-20/hr is reasonable for someone who can write decently. It's not a criticial number and can be changed if you want later.

      If you use freelance sites - don't compete with the $2-4 hr writers. Avoid jobs that talk about "cheap" and focus on buyers asking for quality and for English as first language.

      kay
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      Please do not 'release balloons' for celebrations. The balloons and trailing ribbons entangle birds and kill wildlife and livestock that think the balloons are food.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186580].message }}
      • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3186604].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Devid Farah
          Why is it necessary to have one set hourly rate?

          I think you'll find that you get more work and often times better rates if you are flexible with what you charge.

          Deciding your rate should be something that you work out with your potential client.

          That being said, what you can charge will depend on your reputation, reviews, and qualifications.

          If you are a top notch writer and you have all the reviews and samples to prove it, then you can charge top notch hourly rates.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3187351].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author alwaysready
          To start with , you really need to know that to continue and have a good career on Odesk , you should accept low prices and simple jobs to get nice feedbacks and be ancient and reliable "worker" !
          so you will have to put low prices at the beginning ,then after making good feedbacks from employers , you can change it because they never know if you are good writer or no , they look at your profit and your feedbacks , they cant pay you much money if you don't have an Odesk history , see?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3188247].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Vikram Singh Rana
    Hi,

    $ 20 is not a bad price as far as you maintain the quality of your articles and their uniqueness. I have been working on odesk. And its almost one year now.

    Quality always comes first. There are thousands of employer who even pay higher than $ 20 per hour just to get the excellent work done. So keep in mind just to put up new ideas in your article which are not there on world wide web. I hope that it makes sense to you and the success would be yours.

    Most of the clients prefer to hire experts in their fields without considering their profile rates. I love the way how we work here at odesk and best of luck.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7147316].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jazzygelable
    I have hundreds of hours and 50+ contracts in odesk but I only charge $11/hr. I know its not much if you're based in the US but it's more than enough for me since I live in the Philippines. American writers can command as high as $50/hr. So if you are one, I think it's safe to start with $10/hr. Otherwise, you'll have to start way below that rate if you want to be considered by clients.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7147605].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author eugenedm
    Odesk is a very competitive place. You will find many workers from Asia, particularly in India and the Philippines who will charge for less. Let's say $2 per article or even less. If you think you offer better quality articles, perhaps you can charge $6 - $8 per article.
    Signature

    WARNING: A 50 Million Dollar Man Taught Me His Secret... Which Resulted 6,000 Sign-ups on My Email List.

    "It's easier than you think..."

    => Watch this video here...
    Build Your List to 6,000 Subscribers

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7147795].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author janiman
    i have all the qualities you explained and i did set my Per Hour rate $2. Now after a month a client agrees to hire me at this rate and many clients rejected me bcoz my my high hourly rate. First build your profile. First you have to work with very low per hour rate when you get some jobs and good feedback then raise the per hour rates slowly.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7746589].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author retroid
    It really depends on your skills, if you truly believe you are good at what you do then don't be afraid to set a higher rate.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7746638].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bighostchennai
    I hired a person in fiverr for writing 800 words for $5, he is taking 18 days to finish the article. I am still waiting for the work to get completed, I don't how much quality he will deliver but I feel the 18 days time is too much and also I didn't see any queue for that gig..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7746699].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    Have you thought about trying Unique content - Textbroker.com as well? Also try fiverr.com. Using these 3 channels is likely to generate some serious potential in the long term. My only advice, as an article writer myself is to focus on providing more than is actually required. For example if someone requests a 500 word article give them a 550 article. They'll love you for going beyond the specification. Keep the quality high too!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7746970].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Publisher1953
    I'm using Odesk to purchase some writing and website services. Prices are, well, so low they are mind-boggling. The web guy initially charged $1.00 an hour. I've given him a 25 per cent raise, to $1.25. The writer, works for $3.00 an hour.

    Now, in both cases, I'm not expecting brilliance. We paid about $1,000 to have responsive templates designed for our websites on several domains; the contractor's task is to copy and locate these on the new domains, making the necessary modifications to suit the domain requirements. It isn't terribly highly skilled work -- though he has had to work through some arcane server issues for some of the domains. I've asked the writer to gather topic related information and rewrite (with appropriate source references) stuff for filler space content.) I suppose I'm getting what I'm paying for -- but it is so cheap, I can think of making money on websites with very limited ongoing income -- however, I know I'll have to pay more for the original content to truly justify visitor interest and repeat visitors.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7746988].message }}

Trending Topics