Did I see a Freelance Producer day rate at $1,200? Really? Even at the most experienced and talented level, over $1,000 seems to be a fantasy.

@EP4 I’m female. 18 years. I’m part of an informal network of producer friends/colleagues who are often called for the same jobs and refer each other and we discuss rates amongst ourselves. We encourage each other to keep the rates high. No one wants to be the “bargain.” And you don’t want to undercut your pals. We’re roughly 70% female/30%male.

@EP4, I’m a woman. 20 years experience. San Francisco based. It’s ALL about the network of producer friends. ALL. That’s how we know when rates are going up and yeah, we conspire to keep them high. Frankly, I consider my contacts and relationships part of why I’m worth so much. Do agencies really want a senior producer who is so out of the loop that she (or he) is charging 30% less than everyone else? Imagine what that lack of insight would cost in production efficiency. If you don’t have a core group, get one! And remember: A rising tide lifts all boats. Cooperate, don’t compete. If they win, you win. I promise.

EP5 certain agencies are cheaper than others. I had the HoP at McGarry tell me they pay $800 tops. I got offered a gig at W+K for $500/day. I usually quote $950 and will drop it to $900 depending on the length of time. But I really hold the line at $900. It pisses me off that NYC is one of the most expensive cities and we get paid lower. NY producers, we have to hold the line and not accept anything lower than $900

^THIS!! NYC producers: you simply HAVE to band together and raise the freaking rate! Hell, I got $950 in NYC three years ago! How has it not gone up since then? There is no reason to wait for agencies to raise the rate. They never will. But if they find that every good producer is asking the same higher rate, they WILL fall in line. It also means turning down work occasionally. I’ve had agencies and direct clients try to get $850/day and I tell them if they can find someone good at that rate, hang onto them and never let go...but it won’t be me. Or my friends. And that is the key. You cannot raise the rate alone. I’m frankly shocked at how passive so many of you sound. You’re producers! If you can’t negotiate your way out of this, no one can. I’m counting on you New York producers to get it together because I want to move home! I can’t do it on a cut rate. Get on it!

I don’t know a single senior/ep producer who regularly gets over 1000 a day and even that’s a struggle. I’ve even spoken to some of the “name” companies who provide prod dept services and they’re calling bullshit on anything higher. Most are trying to hold the line at 900.

I’m $1000 in LA. I accept nothing less. I turn down gigs. Zero discounts. If I ever get to the point of taking a lower rate it will be a dark day indeed.

EP4 - yes, a man. I get offered gigs for $850 and $900 but I say no. I am willing to turn down work to get $1000. I don’t care the length of the job or the client. I do not accept less and I tell people this is a business for me too. Sometimes they don’t hire me. I’m fine with that for my own mental health.

$120/hr for Sr/EP Digital Producer all the time. Gotten as high as $1500/day but will also go down to $100 if it's a fun job. In NYC.

@Freelance (former Saatchi) 1: I believe you. But I also think the city matters. NY and LA do seem to be around $900. I think there is also a larger pool of freelancers to choose from in those cities. Are the name agencies calling bullshit because they refuse to believe anyone makes that much? Because if that’s the case they need to get out more. Or do they just refuse to pay that much? That’s a more understandable business decision.

In the end, you have to know what you are comfortable with. Do your research (IRL, not just on fishbowl!). Be honest with yourself, your experience, your reputation as a producer. We all want to work. But we also want to be paid what’s fair. I get that $1,200 seems really high. I was full of self-doubt when I first threw that out. But since I personally knew freelancers with the same seniority who did make that (the most popular producers even more) at the same agencies, I felt a little more confident. I was able to get that rate most of 2017. However, things seem slower now, and so I’m starting a gig next week for $1k.

Some of the big agencies are capping the rate. I’ve very happily taken the $950 “offered rate” to get my foot in the door and get the name on my reel/resume. You gotta do whatcha gotta do.

1000-1200 in LA. Range overall is between 1000 and 1400. But mainly get 1100. Freelance producer with 17+ years experience. As with comments above I know several people that stick with the rule of not taking less than 1000. However at times for longer than several months project have known others to take less. I also know that there are younger producers that are at 750-850 totals. Many of my younger producer friends also have been asked to work on an hourly basis as well, many times those gigs straddle the project manager/producer role on longer term digital creative. SF is higher pay scale and know people that get 1200-1500 regularly on both agency and tech client side, mainly for tech companies though.

My close producer friends and I are all getting $1200/day. I’ve gone as high as $1300/day in the last year. This, though, is in the Bay Area. I can’t speak for the rest of the country. Agencies will pay you as LITTLE as you ask for, so if you’re not aware of other producers raising their rates, you could get stuck at a lower rate without ever knowing it. San Francisco is a tight community though, and the rates are good.

All of you posting that you get paid four figures, are you men? Very curious. As a female freelance EP with 18 years of experience in broadcast and content I’ve never been able to get more than $950 in NYC

Nope. Never get $1,200. Don’t even try. Once I got $1,000. They tried to extend me but I had a booking, replaced me with another very senior person at $900. Usually $800 a day is the norm in NY. Many of my senior friends who only work at traditional agencies doing mostly broadcast are out of work. I’ve worked at one ad agency that only paid $750 a day And digital rates are worse by the hourly rate, but the OT is nice. I know for a fact that a producer friend at droga was getting $500 a day - mid level. And also know an exec producer that took a gig at vice for $700 a day. So...... anyone who is booked constantly at $1,200 a day. Wow. Lucky you

Because rates are going down, not up. Some people can not afford to pass on jobs and be unemployed. Lots of producers out of work. A bazillion young “content producers” making $500 a day - digital agencies can’t even tell the diff sometimes. So many shops without actual production dept’s or processes in place. Zero expertise all around. Too many out of work broadcast producers, not enough broadcast assignments left in the biz. So if every good producer raises their rate, they will just book a not so good producer instead

BP1 what you’ve formed is basically a union. bravo! The tactics we are discussing to keep salaries at a livable level are union and labor tactics.

EP 6, I guess you’re right that it’s kind of like a union, but it’s so informal. It’s truly just a bunch of freelance producers sharing information via group emails and texts. Nothing formal. It’s how we get jobs and how we keep the rates steady. When we have to pass on a job, we immediately share the information with the group so someone else can get it. One producer not only can’t change the rate, but really can’t stay steadily employed. You need help. I really urge you all to start gathering your freelance friends and start sharing information. It will only help the whole group in the end...and it’s as easy to do as just sending out the first group email. Good luck, friends!

Thanks to this thread, I raised my rate and no one’s balked yet. #1100!

K - laundry service NY $500, droga NY $500, w&k $500, ddb ny $750, doremus ny $750, sapientrazorfish NY $700, mcgarry $800, fcb $800, - please add to the list of places/rates you know of in NYC. This is starting to NOT be ok. And now that o&m ny, jwt ny, publicis ny, 360i NY have all fired their EP producers that leaves even more senior talent available for less work. Are you getting it SF peeps? This is not about us having a kumbaya/sharing leads with friends - it is bigger than that. The biz is evolving, tv producers are becoming obsolete and digital producers make crap $

In SF at least, $1k has been the average for Sr Producers since I went freelance over 2 years ago. I don’t know anyone who goes any lower than $950. I’ve been getting $1200 more often than not. This is for broadcast btw. Not sure what the standard is for digital or print? Can anyone share their experience?

I know several freelance senior/EPs raking in $1200. They are elites and I want to be them some day.