LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

What do you charge for an hourly rate for your laser. I'm running a Chinese 50w machine. Is $100/hr way or of range? I figure that includes my time while it's running, power etc.

Following this one. I'm new to the game and this first project I'm charging by the piece. 1500 pieces though

Benjamin Trinkle wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 What do you charge for an hourly rate for your laser. I'm running a Chinese 50w machine. Is $100/hr way or of range? I figure that includes my time while it's running, power etc.

I've never really put pencil to paper about power cost. But I don't think it's really that much. I charge $1.00 a minute or $60.00 an hour. I think that's a fair price. I mean am I really doing anything after I press the start button?

I am an associate of a sign business and we figure $100 an hour with a one hour minimum.

Thanks for the replys. I typically charge 40/hr for my time and I was figuring 60/hr for the machine.

In general I try to get $50/hr.

I find that it depends on the project.

One person I have received training from says DON'T set a price based on "time and materials" - rather set a price based on value.

I can make a thing on the laser and sell it for $7.50 each
So If I make one - I loose my shirt.
If I can make 50 at a time I make more that $50/hr

Another thing I can make I can sell for $12.00 each
If I make one - again - I loose my shirt
If I can make 100 at a time, my $50/hr may become 3x or 4x that.

If you make one thing with a lot of labor and the price is really high - maybe you can make money - but then maybe not. It all depends on the market you are selling to. Walmart shoppers may not buy it.

I look at an item to sell, based on how much effort I need to put into it and what the sales value will be.

I recently saw a ETSY seller making an Item. CNC Router work. Not to say that CNC router is better than laser, this is just an example. The seller was selling item at about $70. The seller was on ETSY 4 years. The seller sold 16000 items. That is a bit over 1 million dollars. After taxes and expenses that seller was at about $120,000 income NET. So there are stories like this all over the place.

Bottom line is - how much effort do you want to put in?

Hourly rate really does not mean all that much.
Sometimes you can make a lot - sometimes not so much.

PLEASE - I do not want to reveal the ETSY seller (not me) - or what the "things" are.

Do not price for Walmart shoppers.

We had a wise old [cranky] sign guy on a sign board who used to say... The right price is the highest price you can say without laughing. But yes, you need to know your customer and be sure the quality is commensurate to the price.

FULLY AGREED.

I did not mean to imply that we should do that.

Always aim high - never low

We charge $1.25 per minute of run time ($75.hour) $25 - 50 art and or setup.