Please Take Kelly James-Enger’s Freelancing Income Survey
I’m posting this request for Kelly James-Enger, author of Six-Figure Freelancing:
When I was working on Six-Figure Freelancing several years ago, I found only two surveys about freelancer’s income. One was a 2003 survey of 369 ASJA members. At that time, 41% made more than $50,000 a year, including 12% grossing more than $100,000 annually. Another survey of nearly 500 freelancers conducted by Doreesa Banning in 2004 found that while nearly 68.9% of respondents made less than $50,000 a year, more than 30% made more than that, including 7% who made more than $100,000 annually. (Visit http://www.asja.org/pubtips/050324a.php for more about the survey.)
What about you? Where do you fall on the income bell curve? I’ll tell you that in 2009, I grossed about $52,000, working an average of 15 hours/week. In 2008, I made $57,500, working about 18 hours/week. However, this year I’m on target to make significantly less than that, which means it’s time for me to market myself much more aggressively.
Still, I’m curious about what other freelancers are making and thought about asking for feedback on my blog. Then reality interceded; after all, I do realize not everyone is as willing to share their annual income in a public forum. So I’ve set up an anonymous survey to report on the current state of what we’re making as freelancers. Please visit http://www.kwiksurveys.com/?s=KNMIOF_cdf53ce4 to participate in the survey (it will take you 3 minutes or less!) and I’ll report on the results by the end of June here and on my blog. After all, more information about money=more power for freelancers. And that is an excellent thing.
Kelly
Great idea! I started to take your survey, and would love to see the outcome. However, do you think you should add a question that asks how many hours the person commits to freelance writing each week? Otherwise it’s tricky to put the $$ in perspective.
Debbie, that’s a great point. I can’t change the survey now but I’m planning others and will do something on part-time versus full-time freelancing…and how many hours people are dedicating to their freelance businesses. This survey assumes fulltime freelancing (which I define as your only source of personal income) but doesn’t count hours.
Thanks, Kelly! I look forward to the outcome!
I pushed continue on that survey and it flickered to an ad for the survey thing…did I do it wrong?
Hmmm, not sure why that happened–please try again and I’ll take a look at it. Thanks!