[bballant]

Thanks for the tips. Perhaps I could raise my rates, but I think I lose money more by a) not properly estimating timelines and b) becoming idle while waiting for client feedback/help/etc. As I said, I'm only 6 mo. into it, so I'm still learning how to better handle these things. I'm finding that when I go into a client's office to code, they are more inclined to provide me the resources they need and I feel ok billing them for the hours, even if they've left me idly waiting for their input.

[techiferous]

Here's a rule of thumb: your hourly rate is roughly comparable to your yearly income.

Here's why: you'll probably have about 1,000 billable hours in a year (because not all of your work is billable, there will be some dry periods, vacation and sick days are unpaid, etc.). If you charge $90/hr, your income is $90,000.

But this is definitely not equivalent to a $90k salaried job. You are taxed at a higher rate. If you set aside 40% for taxes and 10% for a rainy day, only 50% of your income is spendable. So $90/hr gives you $45,000/yr of spendable money (and you still have to pay for your benefits like health insurance).

So don't be shy about charging more, but do make sure that your customer is getting what they pay for (quality code in a timely fashion with good customer service).