how much should i ask per hour?

I have been programmin games for the past two years working with different engines (unreal, cocos2d, panda.js libgdx) also i develop android native and xcode.

Im getting tired of working for the same guys and i would like to also start working freelance... it seems i cant get enouhg of this sh1t haha.

How much do you think a game developer shoud ask per hour?

Please share your experience.

 

It depends on many factors - experience and location being the main ones.

 

say for example, a usa company deoes want me working for them. 8 hours per day. I live in south america.

 

Well it will still depend on factors of finished products, pretty much if you can show a great portfolio of completed games, then you have the upper edge to ask more than someone just randomly coming to them.

Because they know you're good (if it's good (the portfolio));
If they want great work + expierience or do they just want expierence?

I'd want great work + Expierence, and would be more willing to pay for that.
But overall, how much do you your self think YOU are worth?

 

I don't know much about game development, but whenever I've been subcontracting or freelancing in other industries, I make an evaluation of how much I consider my own time to be worth. So, IMO, first step is to find a rate that you yourself are happy with, and feel that your skills are worth.

 

The equivalent in your county of Dice.com or Monster.com is where you should look and for that you'll need to create a professional resume, not an easy task in itself.

 

well i have been working as a developer for almost 10 years, before getting into games i use to develop websites and my fee was around 20 dollars per hour wich IMO it was really good, not cheap but also not expensive... now my concern, since game development is kind of a new fashion, is if it should be ok to ask for more... of course it depends of my skills and the company that is going to hire me... say the guys from ironhide want me to work for them, we all know kindom rush is a huge success... should i ask for 40 dollars / hour? does it sounds reasonable for you guys? (haha ironhide hiring me... i wish!)

 

$20/hr is a little over $40k a year. Now take away healthcare, retirement.. etc... Now that does not seem like very much now does it. If you have the skills, do not sell yourself short. For larger development companies, spending $100/hr for a consultant is not crazy.

Now, if you are still developing your skillset, then yes, charge less. You should charge what your time/experience is worth.

 

Well seems payscale is still around:

http://www.payscale.com/research/UY/Country=Uruguay/Salary

Basically, based on your past experience, a lot of folk find it difficult to change from one industry to another because there is the problem of having developed a certain level of 'subject matter expertise' over the course of your career. They may dismiss your resume out of hand for being a 'web developer' rather than a 'game developer' so emphasize the backend aspects of web and game programming.

I wouldn't count on a company being a big success meaning they are generous to their non-founding employees. Most aren't.

 

I assume that you intend to work within the games industry.
No one can give you a straight answer because this depends on a VERY long list of questions.

Here are just a few of many things that you have to ask to find an answer:
* Is it a web/indie/mid-size/AAA studio?
* Any game development degrees from university?
* Your current connections and reputation within the games industry?
* Your current portfolio?
* Your current skill as a programmer?
* Your current skill within the specific specialization as a programmer?
* Your current experience with the game engine that they work with?
* Your current experience with their remaining tools and software?
* Your current experience with their preferred development method(s)?
* How many years have you worked in the industry?
* Your experience with the genre of the project?

... and much much more...

First of all, you have to impress them and the bigger the studio, the harder this gets. The second step is often to do some tests before you even get to meet anyone at the company. Then comes the interviews and/or discussions (depending on what you or they have in mind for your future with them). Be prepared that some companies play it rough, maybe they throw a curve-ball at you just to see how you handle the situation.... some companies can be really cruel

But it isn't impossible, new people get their foot into the industry all the time.

Be critical, compare yourself with talented people and ask yourself if you got something that could interest them? What do you want to specialize on? How can you improve yourself within this area of specialization?

Research companies, look for someone that you think have a need for you. Try to build a picture of the company and its different employees. It makes it easier to predict what they might come up with...

 

LOL sry little tipsy tonight had to get that out of my system.

 

From what I've seen by people hiring on these forums, most aren't willing to pay more than $20-$30 an hour.

There are tons of inexperienced developers charging $15 - $20 an hour, which is a very attractive price for indies.

When you post in the commercial work section looking for a developer and you get bombarded by 10 developers charging $15 - $20 an hour, and then you come along and quote them $40 an hour, they're not going to work with you.

Unfortunately right now it seems like a race to the bottom, experience thrown aside, and people getting work done for them cheap, while in the long run it costs more.

A trend I've also picked up on people charging low hourly rates, i.e $15 an hour, is they in fact double the number of hours on a task, so they are in fact getting $30 an hour, while you think you're getting a good deal.

It really comes down to the company, their budget and what sort of quality and experience they're looking for.

 

As an independent contractor you should charge somewhere between double and triple the hourly rate you get as an employee. This represents the additional costs you will have to take on, as well as the additional risks.

The other way is to let market forces dictate. Just keep upping your prices until people start saying no and you have steady work. If you have more work then you can handle your prices are too low.

 

^ .... I was going to write-up a nice post, but BoredMormon beat me to it. (What he said.)

Oh yeah, wanted to add this. As a Freelancer Game Dev, I have NEVER gotten any work from bids on projects on various sites. However my last 2 games (paid work) have come from accidentally being on the (bidding/project sites) when the project creator/company hiring people are online, and I struck up a conversation with them, and (each time) after about an hour of chatting, got hired for the job.

Good luck!