The Freelancer Pay Gap in America

New research The Freelancer Pay Gap analyzed data of ca. 6,000 US-based freelancers that have billed at least 100 hours of work in the last 6 months on Upwork. It found out that men charged 48% more than women for the equivalent role overall.

However, the data sample was not representative of a wider freelance population, so the gaps for different industries varied greatly. They were huge in some technical professions, such as DevOps, and rather small-to-negligent in others. In some, such as copywriting, women were charging more than men.

What to do about it? The research not only minds the gaps but also suggests the following 7 Tips to Set Freelance Rates:

1. Research freelancer rates in your industry
2. Consider the client
3. Factor in your expenses
4. Account for lost time and days off
5. Don’t undersell yourself
6. Get comfortable talking about money
7. Be flexible

Other helpful guidelines are outlined in a related article written by Sarah Duran.

Note: In the UK, similar research by IPSE revealed in 2020 that self-employed men earned 43% more than women.

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