Side IncomeFor readers in Ohio
How to Price Your Work When You're Just Starting Out
Most beginners charge too little, and it costs them twice. A simple way to find your floor, check the market, and name a number with confidence.
Local snapshot
Ohio is home to more than 898,000 businesses with no employees. Yours could be next.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022
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Most beginners charge too little. It is rarely because their work is not good. It is because naming a number out loud feels awkward, and a low number feels safe. It is not. Underpricing costs you twice: once in the money you do not earn, and again in the customers it attracts, who often value your work less and ask for more.
Here is a straightforward way to set a price you can say without flinching.
Step 1: Find your floor
Your floor is the lowest rate that is actually worth your time. Start with what you want to take home for an hour of work. Then account for what comes out of it.
- Taxes. Side income usually has nothing withheld, so set aside a share of every payment. Many people plan for 25 to 30 percent, but check with a tax professional for your situation.
- Costs. Supplies, software, fees, shipping, mileage.
- Unpaid time. Messages, quotes, invoicing, and travel all take hours that nobody pays for directly.
There is one more cost employees never see. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2026 shows that benefits like paid leave, insurance, and retirement make up about 30 percent of what private employers spend per hour on each worker. When you work for yourself, those are on you.
If you want to take home $25 for every hour you work, your price per paid hour often needs to land somewhere around $35 to $40 once all of that is covered. The exact number is yours to work out, but it is almost always higher than people expect.
Step 2: Check the market
Look at what others charge for similar work, both locally and online. You will usually find a wide range. As a beginner, aim for the middle of that range, not the bottom. The bottom is crowded, and competing on price alone is a race nobody wins.
Step 3: Price the result, not the minutes
Customers find it easier to say yes to a clear package than to an open-ended hourly rate. "Résumé rewrite, $120" is simpler to buy than "$40 an hour, probably three hours." Packages also reward you for getting faster, instead of paying you less for being good at what you do.
If you want to start lower, make it an introductory rate with a limit: your first five customers, or until the end of the month. Ask each one for a testimonial in return. You build proof, and your real price is already set for everyone who comes next.
Step 4: Say the number and stop talking
State your price plainly, then pause. Do not apologize, explain, or offer a discount before anyone asks for one. A calm, clear price signals that you know what your work is worth. Most people will simply say yes or ask a question.
Step 5: Raise your prices on a schedule
Revisit your rates every few months, and any time you are consistently booked up. Start by quoting the new price to new customers, and give existing customers a heads-up before it applies to them. Small, regular increases are far easier than one big jump.
Keep an eye on the real number
Track what you earn against the hours you actually spend, including the unpaid ones. If your true hourly rate keeps sliding, your pricing needs attention. A short weekly money check-in makes this easy to catch early.
Pricing gets easier when you are working on the right thing. If you are still choosing, start with a short list matched to your skills and schedule.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026
A note on how we work. Home Income Search is a free matching service. We may be paid by the partner companies we match you with, never by you. Nothing here is a promise of income, and results vary with the opportunity, the market and the effort you put in.
