Indep. Consultants: how much do you charge?

[on-ramp]

Are any of you self-employed as independent contract consultants in the mechanical engineering field. If so, how much do you charge on an hourly basis?

any input helpful. thanks.

[id10t]

Doing computer work (anything from malware/virus removal to programming to small network setup/maintainence) I charge 3.5 times what my employer (doing the same stuff, along with teaching workshops) pays me, with a 1 hour minimum.

Not much of a help, but plan on 3x-4x what you would get paid at a job to make it "equal" - after fica, ss, insurance, etc. is paid out.

[techweenie]

I've had a need for SolidWorks designers a couple of times in the past couple of months, and paid anything from $40 an hour for long deadline evening-and-weekend freelance to $100 per hour for short-deadline stuff.