[vfc1]

At least the freelance rates of today are about the same value as in the early 2000's, for the typical enterprise job.

I used to work as a freelance around 5 years ago, and I still receive some recruiter emails with occasional mention of the going rates.

It's the same as 5 years ago or less, which is the same since I remember in the early 2000's.

The rates took a hit with the 2008 crisis and stagnated since then. I think the golden age was somewhere in the mid-90s, where developers got paid really well.

[tonyedgecombe]

I stopped contracting in 2001 (in the UK) and the rates I was charging then don't look much different to what is on offer today. It doesn't help that the UK tax authorities have been waging war against contractors, their latest wheeze is to force them into being employees.

[burntoutfire]

The rates are heavily dependent on the skillset. I.e. for people well-versed in the latest and "greatest" tech, it's typically 500-600 pounds per day, for everyone else it's 300-500.

[tonyedgecombe]

That isn't much different from what I remember in 2001. SAP was in demand and people were billing £750 per day for that, even ordinary stuff was at least £300 per day.

[fy20]

That's what it's been for at least the last 8 years (when I started contracting). For sure you can earn more if niche down, but for a generic 'mid-senior level dev turned contractor' those are the going rates.