Don't underestimate how much people will pay, but it almost entirely depends on geographic location and your level of skill. Not just technical skills, but you

Don't underestimate how much people will pay, but it almost entirely depends on geographic location and your level of skill. Not just technical skills, but your "soft skills" like communication, teamwork, and marketing are equally important. In the northeast US, a mid to senior level programmer/engineer could fairly easily charge between $90/hr and $120/hr (or much more in some cases, such as if you have a specialized skillset) for a fully loaded hourly rate. Don't forget (I'm sure you know this, but it bears repeating), about 25% to 35% of whatever you charge is overhead and will go towards administrative costs, not profit/salary. The GSA (General Services Administration) publishes the average hourly rates that companies charge the US government for all kinds of services. You can probably expect about a 20% variance in these depending on your level of skill, reputation, and the geographic location and size of the client, but it is a pretty accurate and informative starting point. Link: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103877 http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103877