The question came up as to what constitutes fair pay for freelancers in a global market.
While a case could be made that freelancers in less developed nations don’t mind pay significantly less than what their U.S. counterparts receive for the same work, I don’t see why that has to be the case.
If I were to offer a project to someone in a less developed nation, I would pay them the same amount I would pay to someone here in the U.S.
Obviously, if the employer is in a less developed nation, they wouldn’t be able to offer as much. Here in lies the problem. If freelancers in less developed nations start demanding U.S. wages they will drive employers in their own countries out of business, if they don’t it can send the global market into a tailspin.
For myself, I intend to only apply for projects that pay well enough to meet my needs. The amount that is enough is different for each person; there is no way to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution.
For this to work there needs to be enough of a mix of pay rates to allow everyone, regardless of nation, to be adequately paid.
