I have gotten some requests to write some Visual Basic applications which will communicate to a plc with an ActiveX control, eliminating the need for RSLinx just for data acquisition and minor control and monitoring. I have written some programs that accomplish this at work, but I have no idea what to charge for doing it freelance. I don't want to use my hourly pay as a reference because I don't think it is enough (who doesn't). Just a ballpark figure for central Nebraska.

Thank You.

 

Depends on how hungry you are? And don’t ruin it for the rest of us system integrators. My advice, charge as much you can.

We are in the Oil and Pharmaceutical arena so we charge $85 minimum to $125/hour

Years back when I first started, like yourself working for company, I started consulting at $65 an hour and that’s because I didn’t know any better, so go for the limit...

 

When they ask how much you want, ask them how much they got!

Seriously, I agree with the other poster's range. As an aside, I sometimes prefer to charge a fixed price for the job. That way, if I can enhance my own efficiency, I am the one who benefits. The one thing I will not do is hourly with a limit. That way, you bear the risk of cost overruns, while the customer has the potential benefit of underruns.

 

$75 per hour is a reasonable number. Or use 2.5 times your base hourly wage.
In WI, you will see rates vary fom $50 to $110 depending on the software skills of the person and his experience in the applications.
Tom Bullock

 

The heuristic I've heard for freelance hourly rate is annual salary divided by a thousand, adjusted depending on the size of the job etc.

As others wrote, the correct figure is `what the market will bear', but it's usually difficult to find out what that is...

Jiri
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Jiri Baum <[email protected]> http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jirib
MAT LinuxPLC project --- http://mat.sf.net --- Machine Automation Tools