Are you a woman freelancer, or thinking of becoming one? Making a living from freelance work is not an easy task. In fact, some studies estimate that women earn less on average than men in the same profession. How can you find out more? If you are looking to take up work as a UI/UX designer or researcher, then this article might just be for you!

Hi, my name is Vadim, I’am UX/UI Designer. In my posts I usually write about ux/ui and design related topics(sometimes personal life struggles). Today we will discuss very interesting and important topic — about women in freelance and how much should woman charge in creative field.

According to recent numbers, contractors (freelancers) make up 35 percent of the American workforce, approximately 57 million people. Women account for 49.0 percent of freelance designers, while males account for 45.2 percent. [1]

The appeal of working as a freelance UI/UX designer or researcher is tempting. You get to establish your own hours, be your own boss, work from wherever you want, and choose projects that interest you — it may even seem like a dream. Unfortunately, this will remain a dream for some, and it is not related to your creativity or the hours you put into work but rather may be related to your gender.

In traditional business contexts, gender-based wage discrimination can be subtle because women who start out earning less may be offered less fair raises or salaries when they move professions. However, many female creative entrepreneurs — perhaps even those who believe that having a firm protects them from bias — are witnessing a comparable difference in a different way.

A woman earns 98¢ for every $1 earned by a man

In creative fields, women make 15% less than males, according to fastcompany.com.[2][3]

HoneyBook compared over 200,000 invoices sent to clients via its platform to show this. It then polled over 3,100 platform users to see if they thought there was an issue and, if so, why.

On HoneyBook, the average male creative earns $45,400 per year. When you take into account the 32 percent decrease rate, the average woman earns only $30,700 for equivalent services. Another difficulty is that many underpaid people are unaware that a guy doing the same job for the same company could be paid more. The bulk of individuals polled were solo owners, who may be more concerned with their business flow than standardized rates; 63 percent believed that pay across genders was likely to be equal.

Do you need more data? No problem

According to Bonsai, 31% of female invoices submitted by all freelance employees are paid late. While their male counterparts had to wait for payment just 24% of the time.[4]

That is why women freelancers need to start charging more, and don’t forget to add the risks of late payment to your cost.

What makes women charge less than men for the same work?

Many additional criteria affect the amount that a freelancer may charge a customer even though freelancing gives women the freedom to establish their own hours and terms of employment in addition to their own prices. Industry standards almost often dictate the prices charged by freelancers. A woman cannot charge more money because she wants to.

Although a freelancer can determine their own rates, clients and other industry professionals greatly influence them. If all the other women are offering far lower prices than you, you won’t be able to attract clients. They’ll just hire additional contractors to get the job done.

Another major issue that women face when determining their freelancing rates is psychological. We women have not fully achieved our potential due to sociocultural factors, neither have we been given the opportunities to do so. We struggle to perceive the full value of our job in the face of sexism and end up charging less because we don’t believe we deserve more; this must be changed.

Other problems women face

While working as a freelancer might be rewarding, it also comes with numerous significant disadvantages. While freelancing gives women the opportunity to be their own boss, it comes with its own set of challenges. Customers may mistreat women without repercussions, and women have no way of reporting such behavior. Additionally, there are no employee benefits associated with freelance work. Women, for example, do not receive paid maternity leave in the United States. If they want to take an extended leave of absence, they will need to put money aside to cover their expenses. And it can be very difficult when you already paid 32% less annually.

If you work as a freelancer, you’ve almost certainly been asked for a discount. Someone may have even offered you “exposure” in exchange for free labor. When a freelancer isn’t compensated for their services, it’s not uncommon to hear about it. Based on conversations with other female freelancers, women have noted that more clients have requested discounts than men. Women freelancers receive more revision requests than males. It’s difficult to overlook the disparities in treatment between male and female freelancers.

And now let’s talk about what women can do about it

What can women freelancers do about it?

1. There are certain freelancing unions exclusively for women that you can join. However, in many nations, they are not available to women. You can look for such unions in your area by searching online or asking in discussion groups on Facebook.
2. Join online discussion groups. As long as you have an internet connection, you can join online communities from anywhere in the world. When it comes to achieving something, unity is always beneficial. There are hundreds of women’s organizations online to exchange chances and strategies for working as a freelancer. If you’re a newbie, these groups are a gold mine of information.
3. Have a written contract in place that clearly states your conditions. Don’t leave anything out, and be very explicit about what you are and are not willing to do.
4. Discover what other freelancers charge by speaking with both men and women.
5. Study negotiating skills to be ready for any proposition (resist the urge to give the first price that pops into your head)

How much should women freelancers charge?

According to new Tide data, freelancing males charge an average day rate of $203.40, while women charge an average day rate of $163.80, implying that women make 19.5% less than men. [5]

The study polled 1,000 freelancers to find out the typical day rates in various areas and industries — and the gender divide was especially pronounced in specific businesses.

‘Always try to increase your rate from project to project; with each role you take on, you’re developing your unique skillset, so always look to raise your rate, even if it’s only by $40-$80.’

Plan ahead

‘Keep in mind that working as a freelancer implies you’ll have gaps in your schedule. ‘Making sure you have enough money to survive on during downtime is a smart approach to figure out how much you should be paid.’

I hope we all learn something interesting today. Please leave a comment and your experience; maybe you can share your story and help new female freelancers.

God bless you and have a nice day

References

[1]Zippia.com

[2] www.fastcompany.com/40482750/female freelancers-are-paid-way-less-than-men-for-the-same-creative-jobs

[3]www.honeybook.com

[4] www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/05/01/1494034/0/en/Upwork-releases-Q1-2018-Skills-Index-ranking-the-20-fastest-growing-skills-for-freelancers.html

[5] metro.co.uk/2021/05/20/female freelancers-charge-19–5-less-than-men-14615341/