I'm a developer working on a custom web application for my state government, built with React and Next.js on the frontend and utilizing Google Cloud Platform (GCP) on the backend. I've been on this project for about five months now, and while I'm comfortable with my current salary as a government employee, I'm curious about what I could charge if I transitioned to working as an independent contractor.
Here's a breakdown of my project: I've created a microservices architecture with CI/CD pipelines for each service, implemented testing frameworks, and ensured security with role-based access via Firebase Auth. There's a data dashboard for users, an admin dashboard, and I've built a data analysis pipeline using BigQuery with an ELT process. Additionally, there's a microservice for generating heatmaps for field activity planning.
Given the complexity and scope of this project, what should I consider when determining my pricing?
2 Answers
I'd recommend taking the hours you've worked these last five months and calculate what you think a fair hourly rate would be. Once you've done that, consider applying a multiplier for the additional complexity, since you’re figuring things out based on high-level instructions alone.
To figure out your rate, start by estimating the total hours you've put into the project. Then, think about what hourly rate you’d want to earn. Multiply your hours by that rate, and that’ll give you a solid starting point for figuring out your quote.
Interesting approach! Do you think the exact nature of the web app, especially dealing with public health data, adds to the value?