Ability to hide hourly rate charged for a job(not all my earnings)

[rahulserver]

I would like to request this feature(if it already does not exist) to be able to hide the hourly rate charged for a project. This is because many clients (if not most) try to bargain on hourly rate based on previous job history. For example, if I have charged 30$ in the past, and if I have put in 45$ per hour in my proposal, client will most probably tell me to reduce the rates. 

This is problematic because if I work on some technology in which I have entry level expertise, then that reflects in my job history and has potential to affect jobs applications in which I have applied for Intermediate/Expert level experience. 

Also this does not give me the freedom to work on new and emerging technologies(just because a lower hourly rate will appear in my profile). 

For a developer, its very important to keep up learning new stuff and take on projects on new and emerging technologies. So I would suggest to kindly look into the possibilities of this feature.

[petra_r]

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Rahul P wrote:

I would like to request this feature(if it already does not exist) to be able to hide the hourly rate charged for a project.

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 It is available, as part of the Plus Plan.  But clients who you apply to or work with can see the rates paid in the past anyway, and hiding your rates will result in less invitations for various reasons.

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Rahul P wrote:

This is because many clients (if not most) try to bargain on hourly rate based on previous job history. For example, if I have charged 30$ in the past, and if I have put in 45$ per hour in my proposal, client will most probably tell me to reduce the rates. 

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I've never once had a client question my rate based on previous rates (and would not work with a client who did that out of principle) but then I wouldn't randomly try to bid 50% more than my current rate. That is crazy and would make clients think I am taking the bleep.

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Rahul P wrote:

Also this does not give me the freedom to work on new and emerging technologies(just because a lower hourly rate will appear in my profile). 

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Why in the world would "working on new and emerging technologies" mean a lower rate??

[rahulserver]

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Rahul P wrote:

This is because many clients (if not most) try to bargain on hourly rate based on previous job history. For example, if I have charged 30$ in the past, and if I have put in 45$ per hour in my proposal, client will most probably tell me to reduce the rates. 

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I've never once had a client question my rate based on previous rates (and would not work with a client who did that out of principle) but then I wouldn't randomly try to bid 50% more than my current rate. That is crazy and would make clients think I am taking the bleep.

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Rahul P wrote:

Also this does not give me the freedom to work on new and emerging technologies(just because a lower hourly rate will appear in my profile). 

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Why in the world would "working on new and emerging technologies" mean a lower rate??

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I can clearly tell from this that you have no idea about Web, Mobile and Software Development in which I am working. 

A person who is expert in Backend development can easily charge over 30$ per hour(I have done the same). But if hes a beginner in Angular can not expect to get more than 20.(again I tell this from experience). So I guess this is about 1.5 times pricing difference(same as 30 and 45).

Similarly if someone has worked in Java for 6+ years and nodejs for 3+ years, I assume the hourly rate for projects in these technologies can in no way be the same, and can differ wildly. 

[petra_r]

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Rahul P wrote:

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A person who is expert in Backend development can easily charge over 30$ per hour(I have done the same). But if hes a beginner in Angular can not expect to get more than 20.

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Oh, so when you say "new and emerging" technologies, you  don't actually mean "new and emerging" technologies at all, you mean technologies you don't yet master and want someone to pay you to learn...

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Rahul P wrote:

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I can clearly tell from this that you have no idea about Web, Mobile and Software

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OK then... LOL

Good luck to you. Are you always so rude and ignorant when someone answers your questions?

I can clearly tell a lot of things from your response, too.

[rahulserver]

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OK then... LOL

Good luck to you. Are you always so rude and ignorant when someone answers your questions?

I can clearly tell a lot of things from your response, too.

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Anyone looking at your own responses can tell who is being more rude 😄

And as far as being "Ignorant" is concerned,

"

Oh, so when you say "new and emerging" technologies, you  don't actually mean "new and emerging" technologies at all, you mean technologies you don't yet master and want someone to pay you to learn...
"

FYI upwork is a freelancing platform and no client usually pays us to learn(Can't find a reason why someone would do so). By "new and emerging" technologies I meant those technologies where people don't have much samples to show in their profiles. For example, react js recently rolled out "Hooks" and there will be hardly anyone who will have samples to show in this area(only POCs perhaps). 

I guess you could have asked this in a little better way. 

Such way of writing responses can not expect polite reactions from everyone.

[petra_r]

Anyway, the feature you are requesting "sort of" exists, only that it won't allow you to hide your previous rates from clients you apply to or are working with, for very good reason.

Personally, I do not invite freelancers who hide their rates, (as a client or when hiring on behalf of a client) and they will never appear in any searches that include an earnings filter, so hiding your rates does not make much sense.

It makes clients feel that the freelancer has something to hide or wants to overcharge them.

[feed_my_eyes]

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Rahul P wrote:

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By "new and emerging" technologies I meant those technologies where people don't have much samples to show in their profiles. For example, react js recently rolled out "Hooks" and there will be hardly anyone who will have samples to show in this area(only POCs perhaps). 

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Sorry, I didn't see this response before I made my post. But if a technology is new and nobody would have many samples in their portfolios and everyone is a beginner at it - doesn't this create a level playing field? And wouldn't clients understand that they won't be able to get someone with many years of experience, since the technology is brand new? Therefore, you're just as much of an expert as anyone else and could charge your usual rate, or close to it.

I think the bottom line is that if you're frequently being asked to explain your rates, then you need to figure out what you're doing wrong instead of just hiding them. As Petra says, many clients won't trust you if you do this (and rightfully so).

[florydev]

Well I am anyone and I don't agree with you.

From what I have seen overall Petra can be blunt but if you have endeavored to help as many people as she has that have resisted her help for so long I imagine you would feel the same.

You were rude:

can clearly tell from this that you have no idea about Web, Mobile and Software Development in which I am working.

That was clearly an assumption, both wrong to make and I strongly suspect wrong in reality.  If she does actually work in those fields that would make you ignorant.

This is a legitimate question:

Why in the world would "working on new and emerging technologies" mean a lower rate??

I know something about Web, Mobile, and Software development and I don't understand why you would think that.  At all. 

[feed_my_eyes]

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Rahul P wrote:

I can clearly tell from this that you have no idea about Web, Mobile and Software Development in which I am working. 

A person who is expert in Backend development can easily charge over 30$ per hour(I have done the same). But if hes a beginner in Angular can not expect to get more than 20.(again I tell this from experience). So I guess this is about 1.5 times pricing difference(same as 30 and 45).

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I have no idea about web, mobile and software development either, but it seems like it would be easy enough to say in your profile that your rates are $20/hour for beginner-level jobs and $50/hour for expert-level jobs (or whatever your rate is). Just make sure that you keep those rates consistent. It seems to me that a lot of freelancers try to second-guess what clients are willing to charge and/or they read the bid ranges and try to undercut their competitors, so their rates are all over the place and that's why clients question them.

Personally, I only ever bid on jobs in which I am an expert, so I charge the same amount each time and never have any problems. I wouldn't want to bid on a beginner-level job and make $10/hour when I could be charging $75/hour; but, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[tlbp · Accepted solution]

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Rahul P wrote:

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Rahul P wrote:

This is because many clients (if not most) try to bargain on hourly rate based on previous job history. For example, if I have charged 30$ in the past, and if I have put in 45$ per hour in my proposal, client will most probably tell me to reduce the rates. 

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I've never once had a client question my rate based on previous rates (and would not work with a client who did that out of principle) but then I wouldn't randomly try to bid 50% more than my current rate. That is crazy and would make clients think I am taking the bleep.

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Rahul P wrote:

Also this does not give me the freedom to work on new and emerging technologies(just because a lower hourly rate will appear in my profile). 

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Why in the world would "working on new and emerging technologies" mean a lower rate??

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I can clearly tell from this that you have no idea about Web, Mobile and Software Development in which I am working. 

A person who is expert in Backend development can easily charge over 30$ per hour(I have done the same). But if hes a beginner in Angular can not expect to get more than 20.(again I tell this from experience). So I guess this is about 1.5 times pricing difference(same as 30 and 45).

Similarly if someone has worked in Java for 6+ years and nodejs for 3+ years, I assume the hourly rate for projects in these technologies can in no way be the same, and can differ wildly. 

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So explain that to your prospective clients. If they still want to negotiate, understand that they don't want to pay what you are asking and are just wasting your time.