Freelance daily rate in the GCC

Question

Hi,

Question 1:

How much can I charge (daily rate) if I work as a freelancer (strategy/ management consulting) in the GCC (through Makeen Advisors, Eond, Navital Global, etc.)? Can I charge expenses as well? What are the acceptable ranges?

My profile: Senior associate (acting PM) in a Tier 2 firm, Arabic speaker & GCC national

I am well aware that this would highly depend on my specific skills, negotiations, and many other factors. All I'm looking for here is only ranges to understand the opportunity.

Question 2:

How hot is the freelance market currently for someone with my profile? What is the utilization/ staffing rate that I can assume on yearly basis? (%)

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P.S., It would be great if you could also provide sources for your numbers/ estimates (e.g., personal experience, friends, online numbers, etc.)

Answer 1

Hi,

On Question #2, i'll share some perspectives but from an Asia POV, which might give you some food for thought w.r.t the strategy/mgmt consulting demand for freelancers:

The most common role that is advertised on freelancer platforms here in Asia is normally the “Project Manager” role
However, more often than not the requirement for the PM role is either mid level (5 or 6-10 years of exp) or senior level (11-15 years of exp)
I have seen request for consultants (also for roles in GCC), but most of the time the more junior roles tend to be more specialized and niche (i.e. tax, data, fraud, risk etc)
As you've worked in consulting before - you'll understand that this is because most firms are -some- sort of pyramid shaped. So its much harder to get manager/principal resources than it is to find more junior resources
Utilization of the freelance consultants I've seen before in Asia really depends - on a large transformation project, I've seen external consultants engaged for sometimes up to 9-12 months

Just some food for thought on how you might want to position yourself, and whether you can leverage a specific expertise

All the best!

Answer 2

Hi there,

My guess is not much given you have not thought to give us appropriate information and aren't asking the right questions!

We don't know what GCC means
How haven't told us what you're freelancing on.
You haven't told us your brand/skills/profile (other than manager in Tier 2)
A video editor or A data entry person on fiverr, upwork, etc. may make $10/hr. An ex-MBB conusltant, reach out to by a recruiter on LinkedIn can make $100/hr and then increase that to ~$200/hr as they build their reputation/network
We don't really know your profile and of course we have no idea what utilization/staffing rate you can assume on a yearly basis…no one does

When I was freelancing as an ex-BCGer I was earning upwards of $150USD/hr. When I was freelancing on Fiverr/Upwork (many years ago) leveraging my data analytics skills, I was earning approx $30USD/hr.

You need to just start and find out for yourself! Let me tell you know, it's not “easy money". You have to work hard to find leads, build your reputation, outshine competition, etc.

Answer 3

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

Unfortunately, as PrepLounge is a platform for strategy consulting applicants rather than a job board, I am unable to provide specific numbers to your question.
Still, I would highly advise you to research the rates of other freelancers in your particular field. As the best person to compare your own profile to theirs, this information will give you a good starting point for determining your own rates and get started.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

Hi there,

The ‘how much’ always is aligned with two things:

1. The value your delivery

2. The brand you build

Start with the first one. The second one will follow. With time the client will come and the more value you deliver, the more you can charge without noticing a decline in demand.

Best,
Cristian