Hey Mike!
Your profile isn't public so I couldn't see your experience or education. What I know is that, despite having years of experience in my field, my rates were low when I first started freelancing. I was getting around $10 per 1000 word article.
Not anymore and never again.
I started upping my rates as I gained feedback. Now, I never work for less than $25 for 500 words and that's if I don't have to do any research.
I can do that because I have around three reliable and well-paying clients (on and off the platform). I regularly turn down jobs that don't pay enough.
All that to say this - charge what you believe you're worth. If you have less experience in freelancing, that may be a little less than you want but if you really stick with it, you can get to a level you do want. I've met very few people who are willing to or have the time to make freelancing work.
Take care!
