Day rates

[gafftapegreenia]

How do you go about figuring out what you charge for a day rate? It's one of those things I was never taught in school and people just don't talk about much. It also seems to vary widely not just locale to locale, but person to person within a locale. Is there a sort of checklist of things to take into consideration based upon the job at hand? Or do most people just throw out the highest figure possible and see what gets accepted? Genuinely curious how people come up with what they ask for.

 

[Morte615]

I freelance a lot and I started by checking what the local union was offering for low tier labor. Box Pusher, LX hang assist, ect.
I added about $25 an hour on top of that since I operate from my own business and not a W2 employee, I have to cover a lot of expenses on my own. From there I take the hourly multiply it by 12 and that's my day rate. If I think the labor will run more than 12 hours a day for an extended run I just add up from there. That's for doing Break Out Rooms which is my bread and butter.
I have been burned where I put 12 hours and I don't work less than 16 the entire run, but at the same time I have made out ahead when I only worked 8 hour days. In the end it evens out. At the end of the year (or as it approaches) I reevaluate if I'm not making my bills, or if I'm not getting the work I want I may go up or down.
Also I somewhat evaluate it at every gig. Sometimes I'm doing simple grunt work that is really only worth the union minimum, other times I'm hired as the Technical Director for a multi week event and is worth more than when I do break out rooms.
As you stated though the standard day rate changes based on the work you are doing, the location you are doing it, and how much the venue (and yourself) can afford to work for.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Thanks for taking the time to type that out. It's really not too far off from what I figured people do.

When I was freelance I used to work hourly. I've had a stable shop gig for a few years but I was laid off for most of the fall and have found myself gig hunting again. Older and more experienced I've had a few potential employers ask for my day rate and I don't want to low-ball myself.

 

[cbrandt]

I hire a lot of guys on day rates, and even inside of one market, I see a lot of disparity. For some, they have a standard rate based on their experience of what they think they are worth, regardless of whether they are pushing boxes or designing a show. Others are just the opposite, with a different day rate for every job. I also see a lot of differences in expectations on what day rate means. It is worth having the discussion with whomever is hiring you to make sure that you're on the same page. I see it about 50/50 of whether someone expects a dayrate to mean "all the work I do on a gig in a day" or "this is just a minimum for XX hours, anything over is overtime".

 

[Footer]

I hate the whole "well, if you want me to do more then push boxes, you have to pay me X....". When I freelance I charge the same no matter what I'm doing. My skill set is sitting there, if you want to use it you can, if you don't, that is your business. Either way my ass isn't on my couch so you are paying me what I'm worth. If I get a schedule out of the person I'm working for I can play a bit, otherwise I'm going to assume it is an 18-20 hour festival day that I won't get lunch or dinner and will end the day needing another day to get my life and body back in order. I'm also in a well paying benefited salaried job, so freelance work for me is just hobby money... so if I'm going to spend a day off with you I'm going to make you pay dearly for it.

Charge what you think you are worth. Odds are you are getting 1099'd, so add at least 30% to whatever your ideal "hourly" rate is. If you are doing the legit stuff and carrying insurance and such... add 50-100%. Many freelancers I know will also roll in the cost of being available. So, if you book them for a Saturday only vs the whole week you pay a lot more. If you book them for a few weeks you will get more of a deal. There is a right cost to everything... but if you want me for just a day a few times a month or just once at all I'm not going to come cheap.

Talking number a bit, in my area a box pusher is worth 16/hr. A good tech is worth 20-25/hr. A PM is with 25-40 an hour. All of that is based on a W-2 slot. For a 1099 add at least 30% to that.... and overtime after 8 hours. So, 250 for a box pusher, 300-350 for a tech, 400-600 for a PM. If its a festival day add a hundred to everyone.

 

[soundman]

I try and avoid working for flat day rates, I'll do X for 10 or 12 hours but if you don't force the producer to keep an eye on your hours they won't be worried about bringing you in early and keeping you later than needed.

Different than touring because at least there will be bus time or days off. Sitting in a hotel ballroom for 20 hours a day 'just in case' is bad management. If that is how they want to run their event they can pay double time.