How to stop undercharging as a freelancer

Most freelancers are undercharging. Here's how to fix it.

A recent survey found that 67% of freelancers feel they charge too little. The problem isn't a lack of skill -- it's a lack of data and confidence.

1. Track everything

You can't price accurately if you don't know how long things take. Track your time on every project, even fixed-price ones. After a few months, you'll have real data on what your work costs.

HelloSolo's time tracking connects directly to projects and invoices, making this automatic.

2. Review your historical pricing

Look at your past proposals. What did you charge? How long did the work actually take? What was your effective hourly rate?

If your $5,000 project took 200 hours, you're making $25/hour. That might be fine, or it might be way below market rate.

3. Research your market

Talk to other freelancers in your space. Check salary data for equivalent full-time roles and adjust for freelancer overhead (taxes, benefits, unpaid time off).

A rough formula: (Annual full-time salary / 1,000) = your minimum hourly rate.

4. Present value, not hours

Clients don't care how many hours something takes. They care about the outcome. Instead of "40 hours at $100/hour," try "Complete brand identity package: $4,000."

When you present value, the conversation shifts from "Is this too many hours?" to "Is this worth the result?"

5. Use data to back your proposals

HelloSolo's AI analyzes your past proposals to suggest pricing for new projects. It considers the type of work, the client's history, and your typical rates. No more guessing.

The bottom line

Undercharging is a data problem, not a confidence problem. When you have the numbers, pricing becomes a decision, not a guess.

Start tracking with HelloSolo and build the data you need to charge what you're worth.