$3 Hourly rate? I think it's time Upwork increases the minimum.

[shanementor]

I noticed that the minimum Hourly rate is $3 that freelancers can charge. I think it has been $3 for almost 10 years now, due to all the inflation and the dollar not being as worthy as it used to be would Upwork ever consider upping that to $5 even $4? Not that it really affects me since I don't charge $3 but I noticed everything in life increases in cost except the minimum hourly rate here on Upwork. 😃😂 Thoughts? Also wouldn't it be in Upworks best interest to increase the minimum would mean more money to Upwork?

[sajal36]

I think the reason for the minimum hourly rate is to allow client to hire entry level profile. In many countries, that is the entry level compensation for many people.. If you look from lateral perspective then you might not be interested in that job and look for higher rate. 

 However from inflation and time span it had been there, you perspective and argument looks good.

[shanementor]

Yes, I hear you! I realize this is the entry rate for new people with not much experience or skills yet. However it's been 10 years, and it's time to at least move it up to $4 an hour! $3 even in third-world countries after the Upwork fee, and payment transfer fee, is not good! And, I've seen people asking for superstars with tons of knowledge to help their business and only offering $3 LOL

[sajal36]

If I see any one taking $3 job with more then 0-2 years experience then I will call it overconfigure. Its just people might be adding multiple contract to make up $20 or $30 on worth the effort.

Now that's where highly skilled freelancer need to stop looking at those jobs as you cannot be superstar and delivering knowledge tank to client in $3. Only exception is that someone is looking to build upwork history for better value proposition at later stage. 

[tikus]

In the developed country I lived in (in the capital city), $3 is the total salary of an office boy, without a college education. Cleaning the window, making coffee, copying documents and stuff, however, they got paid holiday/sick leaves and insurance. But it depends on the area, the salary is cheaper in non-capital cities, don't you think it's similar to a job that pays $10 for us-based freelancers? Maybe even worse

[shanementor]

In the USA an entry-level position with no college degree as a cashier for retail outlets such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc pays a starting wage of $15 an hour with paid sick days, paid vacation, and offered insurance. I know a lot of other countries have low costs of living, but as you said that $3 office boy gets paid benefits, he does not necessarily need to pay a monthly internet home bill since he works offline, and does not need to pay for an expensive computer, etc and does not have to pay an Upwork Fee. I don't know, It's just been $3 an hour minimum here on Upwork ever since it was odesk, like what 10 years now, time to increase it to at least $4 in my opinion 🙂

[1535923f]

I just got depressed, I´m in charge of Human Resources in México in a small construction company and I divided my salary between the 8 hours of work a day and a earn $3 dollars per hour.

[f1785f8c]

This is just how the platform is setup. $3's here is nothing, it's not possible for someone here to survive on that, but that same amount in other countries can go along way. That's the main problem with the site. The fact the the cost of living is different everywhere as well as the currency, but the same jobs are sometimes open worldwide. I look at the average rate someone pays sometimes and a lot of the time, that rate is $5 or $10. That's not even the minimum wage here. If you're going to work for that, you might as well go to McDonald's, get guaranteed work and the benefits. I think jobs should be filtered by countries and it should at least reflect the average minimum wage.

[shanementor]

I heard about jobs like McDonalds , Walgreens, CVS, Target, Sams club are now paying a minimum wage of $15, plus benefits , vacations days, personal days, insurance, hospital .

[sajal36]

You need to also factor in Income tax, Insurance, Medical expenses and other related stuff. In some country income at $5 or $10 is tax free. Moreover there is no insurance related compulsion on all as basic requirement such medical, Vehicle insurance etc.. are met at very low cost.. In other words its COLA (Cost of Living allowance that might be a difference).. 

[researchediting]

The minimum is dictated by enterprise clients who find value at that price point that they do not find a higher price point.