Hourly rate for a Staff engineer

Question

I'm looking for advice how to negotiate an hourly rate for a full time long term staff role as a contractor/freelancer at a silicon valley startup.What rate is reasonable and what hours should I calculate with. Should I give my price or expect them to propose a rate?

engleader78 · Accepted Answer

Take whatever you would earn as a full time employee with benefits and add 20%.  Then divide by 2000 for an hourly rate.  2080 is the number of hours in a standard 52 weeks at 40 hours a week job.  2000 takes into account 2 weeks of vacation, and just makes a nice number to divide by honestly.

Hogan · Answer

I disagree with the notion of comparing full time compensation and contractor compensation.  Outside corpo world the value one can bring to a company varies dramatically.Personally I always start with a per project payments with upfront estimates to test the water. I take a few days long project, then a bigger one if all goes well and a month or two later it becomes very clear how much value I can generate for the client.

uiop · Answer

Seriously consider whether you want to bill hourly; value-based delivery is often more lucrative. Can you define a project scope and charge 50-60% of the value that you’re creating? Don’t just add a little to your salary and divide by 2000. You have to factor in healthcare, equipment, insurance, and other overheads. Look at competitor rates by asking around, job board research, and GSA or state contractor rates.

aydios · Answer

i dont think you go hourly and diminish your value

Hourly rate for a Staff engineer

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