If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the many newbie freelancers who make money online but can’t break even. 

You’re chasing down cheap ass clients or job opportunities because to you, it’s better than nothing. These gigs give you a taste of freedom to live and work on your own terms. 

I was just like you when I first started. I didn’t care about working random $5 an hour gigs at first, as long as it meant I was able to fund my travels.

But believe me, staying in this vicious rut of low-paying work is a one-way street to burnout. 

You have no choice but to spend most days locked in your room because you’re too broke to do anything. If you do have a day off, you’re stuck micromanaging down the last baht or dollar because you’re scared you might not make rent next month. 

After a while, you’re probably wondering if it was really worth leaving home at all. 

This is why you need to negotiate with clients and raise your rates early on in your career. Knowing your worth and making sure you get paid is the main thing you need to live a fulfilling nomadic lifestyle. 

To help you out, my guide will give you some valuable tips on when to start raising your rates and how to own the negotiation process. 

No worries, it’s easier than you think. 

When Should You Raise Your Freelance Rates?

There’s no “right” or “wrong” time to renegotiate. Some freelancers stick to doing it once a year. Others might go for it once they get more credentials or have more brand recognition. 

The most important thing about asking your client or company “the question” is whether you have something to back up why you’re charging more. This could be: 

• New skills 
• More work experience 
• Being in a high-demand niche 
• Working with higher-paying clients 
• Inflation & operating costs

You have plenty of scenarios where raising your client rates makes complete sense or even expected. 

How To Nail The Negotiation Process 

Now that you know when to negotiate, let’s go through how to nail the process and start getting paid some real money.  

Pro Tip #1: Leave The Employee Mindset Behind

You’re not an employee anymore, you’re a freelancer. 

Or even better, a business owner. 

That means you control your time, rates, and services. Not the other way around. 

If you’re serious about growing, leave the 9-5 mindset behind for good. There’s no one looming over your shoulder telling you when to hand in your projects, learn new skills, or raise prices.

All of that’s going to come down to you. 

That said, be your own advocate from day one. Think of yourself as someone offering a solution to your customer’s problems instead of them doing you a favor by hiring you. 

Pro Tip #2: Show Your Worth 

Let’s say you work with two separate freelance writers who are raising their rates. 

Number one does the bare minimum and hands in things late. But the second one does all of that plus offers new ideas for your site’s copy, asks for (and implements) your feedback, and actively learns new skills to offer clients more value. 

Who do you think you’d say yes to? 

Before negotiating with your client, reflect on your work and ask yourself:

• Have I always gone above and beyond the client’s expectations?
• Are they seeing real results from my work? 
• Did I learn a new skill I can help my client out with this year? 
• Have I been taking on more projects voluntarily? 
• Do I always take my client’s feedback into account? 

If you show what you’re worth and consistently come through, there’s a good chance they’ll give you the green light. 

Pro Tip #3: Research Before Raising Rates

So now that you’re ready to renegotiate, how much should you actually charge, anyway? 

It boils down to skills, experience, and industry. 

Sites like Indeed or Payscale give you an idea of how much someone in your industry might earn. 

Upwork might also give you some perspective. The platform’s search option gives you dozens of filters to help you find freelancers with the same skills as you, like this:

While I wouldn’t recommend working exclusively here for reasons I’ll talk about in another post, it’s a great starting point for knowing how much you could start charging clients. 

Whatever you do, do not undercut yourself just to find work. Use your skillset, experience, social proof, and industry rates to make sure you’re getting paid fairly. 

Pro Tip #4: Upskill Like Your Life Depends On It

AI could automate up to 30% of jobs by 2030. 

And while you might want to bury your head in the sand and pretend you’ll have the same job forever, we need to get real. 

Tech is moving so fast nowadays it’s almost impossible to keep up. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Now’s the time to supercharge your career with new skills if you haven’t started already. 

You don’t need to become a rocket scientist overnight. Simply build on your existing career path and expand what you can offer clients. 

When you do this, you’ll stay in demand for far longer and charge a lot more than those who didn’t. 

Pro Tip #5: Let Your Clients Know In Advance 

Imagine having your Netflix bill go from $10 to $50 overnight. I don’t know about you, but I sure as shit would cancel my membership the same day (and try to get my money back). 

And rest assured, most clients would feel the same way if you did that to them. 

If you want to raise rates, send your clients an email at least a month or two before you do. This gives them enough time to adjust to the new pricing system. 

It also shows professionalism and that you value their relationship.  

Pro Tip #6: Create Price Tiers 

Price tiers give your clients the flexibility to pick and choose the services they need from you. 

Say you’re a freelance copywriter charging $200 per blog post. Besides the usual per-project rates, you can offer a monthly blog package each month. Maybe you’ll charge $400 for two blogs, $700 for four, and so on. 

You could also collaborate with other freelancers and build a full-service agency model. Instead of your client scrambling to hire a bunch of different contractors, they can pay a bit more for the convenience of packaging things together and doing everything at the same place. 

Tiers give you many more opportunities to upsell while making your clients’ lives much easier.

Pro Tip #7: Raise Prices For New Customers 

There’s no hard rule about who you need to raise prices for.

If a client is loyal, pays on time, and is easy to work with, keeping them happy is worth more than an extra $50-100 a month.

However, new clients are a different story. Once you have a few testimonials and experience under your belt, raise your prices and charge them accordingly. This way, you can still grow your business without sacrificing long-term customers who value your work.  

Pro Tip #8: Anticipate Any Objections 

Most clients are okay with a slight raise, especially if this is your first time negotiating with them. 

Still, a few might be skeptical about paying a single cent. Always come prepared with a short speech on why you’re raising prices. You could mention a recent project you did, a new credential, or anything else that may justify a higher rate. 

After doing it a few times, make a list of your clients’ most common objections. This way, you’ll have an answer ready whenever this situation comes up without being caught off guard. 

Pro Tip #9: Stand Your Ground

Not every client will be happy to pay you more, no matter how well you’re doing. Some might straight up refuse to work with you anymore.

And while negotiating is nerve-racking, it’s a part of doing business. Most clients understand this and will be okay with a raise as long as it isn’t outrageous. 

For those who aren’t convinced, try to persuade them and find an option that works with both sites. If they still don’t see the value of your work and aren’t willing to negotiate, stand your ground and walk away if you need to. 

You deserve to find clients who understand your value and pay you what you’re worth. 

Pro Tip #10: Break Into A High-Paying Niche

You’re driving down the road and see two restaurants: McDonald’s on one side and a fancy steakhouse on the other. 

While you can eat at both, one thing’s for sure…neither will give you the experience of the other. 

Tying this back to freelancing, your “fast food” client will most likely never be your “steakhouse”  client. If they’re used to paying you $30 for a project, it’s going to be really hard to convince them to pay you a lot more. 

Fighting for an extra $5 isn’t worth it. Save yourself the headache and start pitching to larger businesses that have the budgets to pay you a living wage. Many of these clients are also more professional and easier to work with. 

You’ll work less, be treated like a professional, and won’t need to take on dozens of projects just to barely make it each month. 

Stop Settling For Less

Far too many freelancers think they need to work for peanuts because of fear of not finding anything better.

Don’t be one of them. 

Your work is worth a lot more than you think. Make 2025 the year you’ll finally get paid what you’re worth and never settle for below-minimum-wage rates again.