Most freelance designers charge between £40–£150 an hour (roughly $50–$200), but the honest answer is: hourly is usually the worst way to price your work. What you should charge depends on your experience, your speciality and your region — and, more than anything, the value of the outcome you deliver. Here’s how to set a rate you won’t resent.
1. Hourly rate. Simple and low-risk for the client, but it punishes you for being fast and caps your income at the hours in your week. Best for open-ended or maintenance work.
2. Day rate. A single figure for a day’s work (often your hourly × 7–8, sometimes lightly discounted). Easier to quote, and clients commit to bigger blocks of time. Great for sprints, workshops and retainers.
3. Project / value-based pricing. One price for the whole outcome, based on what it’s worth to the client — not how long it takes you. This is where experienced designers actually make their money.
Work backwards from the income you need:
£60,000 + 40% costs = £84,000 ÷ 1,000 hours = £84/hour as a floor. Most beginners set this far too low.
These vary enormously by country and speciality, so treat them as starting points, not gospel:
UX research, design systems and conversion-focused product work command the top end. Region matters too — a US client often expects (and pays) more than a local small business.
If your redesign helps a client earn an extra £50,000 a year, charging £2,000 “because it took 20 hours” leaves money on the table. Price the result: ask what success looks like, what it’s worth, and what it costs them not to fix it. Your fee then becomes a fraction of the value you create — an easy yes for the client.
After 20+ years in design, the most common mistake I see isn’t charging too much — it’s charging too little. Underpricing:
Your rate is a positioning decision, not just a number. Raise it before you feel “ready” — because you never quite will.
What should a beginner freelance designer charge? Start around £25–£40/hour, but move off hourly as fast as you can. Price small fixed projects so you’re rewarded for getting better and faster, not punished.
Hourly or fixed price — which is better? Fixed/project pricing almost always earns more and removes the clock-watching tension. Use hourly only for genuinely open-ended work.
A client says I’m too expensive — what do I do? Don’t drop your price; reduce the scope instead. Offer a smaller package at a lower price so your rate stays intact.
Should I charge for revisions? Include a set number (e.g. two rounds) in the quote, then bill extra beyond that. Unlimited revisions is how projects — and profits — die.
Pricing is really a confidence skill. Get your portfolio and positioning strong, and charging well gets a lot easier.
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