Who makes a good living?

They have: 31 posts

Joined: Oct 2002

I was wondering who here makes a good living being a web designer, say $50k U.S. currency a year? I'm trying to figure out if I can do this for a living Laughing out loud .

Thanks

Adam Paoli
Editor in Chief
Gamer-Talk.net

The Webmistress's picture

She has: 5,586 posts

Joined: Feb 2001

My husband & I both work together for ourselves doing web design and SEO and we live very comfortably!

They have: 31 posts

Joined: Oct 2002

Wow, I'd have to say that is my dream! Mind if I ask if you went to college? Your husband?

The Webmistress's picture

She has: 5,586 posts

Joined: Feb 2001

I went to college and have 2 A Levels but they are in Psychology & Sociology!! I worked for 10 years in a bank and my husband worked as a sales rep. I taught myself and my husband how to build websites and he has taught us both about SEO work. Never had any formal training for it!!

Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....

Renegade's picture

He has: 3,022 posts

Joined: Oct 2002

wow, i'm gonna make more than that one day Sticking out tongue lol hopefully :S

He has: 1,016 posts

Joined: May 2002

I think it also depends on your clients and your contacts. For example, if you have a sales person working with you and getting you all these huge jobs then you'll be making $50K every 2 months. But if you're on your own and getting smaller jobs on forums and chats then you'll be making $1k/mo (if even that).

Right now I'm doing A LOT of webdesign/development work. I think I have 4-5 sites I'm working on at the same time and getting a couple of more projects this week. It pays good but I'm not sure if this is what I want to do all my life, I've been doing it for the past 7-8 years and I'm considering taking a different path.

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

How do you define web designer? Do you mean as a freelancer or owning a small design shop? I have a full-time job doing multimedia work for a university, which doesn't get the salary range you're talking about, but I think I do pretty well. Freelance stuff is just a side job, which I have little or no time for!

So, anyway, even if you find that you don't want to do the freelance thing full-time, you can always find related work with a larger company and do freelancing on the side.

taff's picture

They have: 956 posts

Joined: Jun 2001

Rounding out my 3rd year at it now as a full time job. It was a "hobby business" for about a year before that. In my opinion, the sort of money you are talking about is certainly possible. I won't get into personal earnings here but I will say one thing - be prepared for inconsistency. If your clientele is, like mine, small business, you'll find that the web site is one of the first things shelved in times of economic concern.

Like Julia, I'm self taught. The good ol' University of View Source.

Another word of warning: If you are setting out to be a one man web design shop, do not entertain the fallacy that you'll get to design web sites all day. A lot (perhaps half) of your time needs to be spent on sales, networking, marketing, bookkeeping, research, janitorial duties, buying pencils, you name it. It is a good thing to keep in mind when establishing your hourly rate that roughly half your hours will be unbillable.

If you can bring someone in whose strengths are your weaknesses, all the power to you. I brought my wife on board for a year to try sales only to realize that she's an even poorer salesperson than I am Sticking out tongue

.....

They have: 37 posts

Joined: Nov 2002

May I ask where you find those contacts ?

I am having a hard time trying to find ways to ad. my site/software to other people.

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