How to price freelance services without working for free
Updated October 21, 2026 · WorkWorthly
A big-looking fee can become a tiny hourly rate once you count the whole job. Pricing by vibes? We have all been there. Start with the numbers instead.
A MYR700 job that takes 20 hours pays MYR35 an hour before costs. Meetings, travel and revisions count too. The examples below use MYR; the method works in your own currency without assuming an exchange rate.
1. Start with your income goal
Suppose you want MYR5,000 a month before personal tax and spend MYR600 on software, connectivity, insurance and marketing. Your business needs MYR5,600 a month before job-specific costs. If MYR5,000 is your after-tax goal, budget for tax separately.
2. Count hours you can actually bill
A 40-hour working week is not 40 billable hours. Finding clients, messages, bookkeeping and learning take time.
If 25 hours a week are billable, 25 × 4.3 is about 108 hours a month. Track a real month to replace that assumption with your own number.
3. Find your hourly floor
Hourly floor = required monthly revenue ÷ billable hours.
MYR5,600 ÷ 108 is roughly MYR52 an hour. Below that, you miss your stated goal unless something else changes. This is a planning floor, not a promise of market demand.
4. Price the whole job
Project price = estimated hours × hourly rate + direct project costs.
| Product photography task | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Three-hour shoot and one-hour setup | 4 × MYR52 | MYR208 |
| Edit 40 images | 5 × MYR52 | MYR260 |
| Meetings and messages | 1.5 × MYR52 | MYR78 |
| Travel time | 1.5 × MYR52 | MYR78 |
| Fuel, tolls and parking | Direct costs | MYR45 |
| Planning floor | MYR669 |
Charging MYR400 for this scope would leave you below that floor. Include a sensible buffer for uncertainty and avoid counting the same cost twice.
5. Keep three numbers in mind
| Number | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Opening quote | Your proposed price, with room for a justified negotiation buffer |
| Target | The price that meets your goal for the agreed scope |
| Floor | Below this, reduce scope or politely decline |
A 15–25% opening buffer is one possible planning assumption, not a universal market rule. Use a figure you can explain through scope and value.
When a client asks for a discount, adjust the scope
“We can work with MYR500. That would cover 25 edited images and one revision round instead of 40 images. Would that fit?”
Recalculate the smaller job before agreeing. A smaller deliverable is not automatically profitable.
Keep records from day one
Keep client payment records and business receipts. Tax reporting, allowable deductions and retention periods depend on where you operate. Use the relevant authority's guidance for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Hourly or project pricing?
A project fee is easier to budget for. Build it from realistic hours, costs and scope, even if you do not show an hourly breakdown.
How do I check market rates?
Compare public packages and speak to peers. Market prices provide context, but your own costs determine what is sustainable.
Should corporate clients pay more?
Count the extra meetings, approvals and documentation. Price the additional work rather than adding a fee just for the client label.
Should I save for tax?
Plan a reserve using your circumstances and local rules. The WorkWorthly country planner shows base tax bands; it is not a final tax bill.