What is a good rate these days?

[ChimpMaster]

A very generalised question indeed - but my curiousity was raised by a thread in one of the other sections about £800/day contract with a £200 "bonus" for completion of the project. Now to me that sounds like a heck of a lot of money, especially in this day and age of China and India taking on a lot of the work to produce low quality results. But am I missing something here? Have rates gone up?

For london based contracts, I thought £500/day was a good rate, now I'm not so sure. I'd be very happy with £800, but I'd also fear that this would highlight me as a very expensive option and one to be eliminated by the client.

Anything below £250 is a poor rate - again in London and my personal opinion.

[doodab]

It depends what you are doing and for whom. If it's common or garden admin or coding work on behalf of a global multinational £400 is a lot of money at the moment. If it's some specialised highly mathematical stuff in the city then you will get laughed at for selling yourself so cheaply.

[Drewster]

A very generalised question indeed - but my curiousity was raised by a thread in one of the other sections about £800/day contract with a £200 "bonus" for completion of the project. Now to me that sounds like a hectic of a lot of money, especially in this day and age of China and India taking on a lot of the work to produce low quality results. But am I missing something here? Have rates gone up?

For london based contracts, I thought £500/day was a good rate, now I'm not so sure. I'd be very happy with £800, but I'd also fear that this would highlight me as a very expensive option and one to be eliminated by the client.

Anything below £250 is a poor rate - again in London and my personal opinion.

It really is a "piece of string" question based on skills/roles etc but I would be in general agreement with your parameters....
£250 = low in London
£800 = pretty exceptional (even) in London
+£200 extra/bonus/loyalty (very*) exceptional

*Sorry about the qualified absolute

[doodab]

Sorry about the qualified absolute

Better than an unqualified relative. Take my uncle Keith for example.

[Scrag Meister]

A very generalised question indeed - but my curiousity was raised by a thread in one of the other sections about £800/day contract with a £200 "bonus" for completion of the project. Now to me that sounds like a hectic of a lot of money, especially in this day and age of China and India taking on a lot of the work to produce low quality results. But am I missing something here? Have rates gone up?

For london based contracts, I thought £500/day was a good rate, now I'm not so sure. I'd be very happy with £800, but I'd also fear that this would highlight me as a very expensive option and one to be eliminated by the client.

Anything below £250 is a poor rate - again in London and my personal opinion.

£250 per day is only 60k per year which you could get being permie.

£500 pd is a great rate for normal run of the mill corporate jobs, normal for banking.

To get £800 pd plus a £200pd bonus you need to be a guru in a sort after niche low supplier count skill.

Better than an unqualified relative. Take my uncle Keith for example.

LOL

[alreadypacked]

I was quoted a good rate had a phone interview, offered the role, then they wanted to drop the rate.

I said no thanks.

Asked the agent why, he said the client was not getting the right people, when the role had a lower rate

[Drewster]

Asked the agent why, he said the client was not getting the right people, when the role had a lower rate

One of the few times I would like to be face to face with a Pimp........ So I could punch him repeatedly!!!

[Bunk]

£250 per day is only 60k per year which you could get being permie.

But if you can get 60k as a permie you would be looking at more like £450+ for a contract. £250 a day is roughly what a permie on £30-35k could charge as a contractor, so it still works out better. You're not comparing like with like.

[Scrag Meister]

But if you can get 60k as a permie you would be looking at more like £450+ for a contract. £250 a day is roughly what a permie on £30-35k could charge as a contractor, so it still works out better. You're not comparing like with like.

Point taken.

[DimPrawn]

Inflation

I was earning £480 p/d in the late nineties.

Taking into account inflation, I should be getting £620 p/d now.

Historical UK Inflation And Price Conversion