Selling hours

Sources

• Nonemployer Statistics 2023 datasets: United States file nonemp23us (NAICS 5416, Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services, by receipts size class) · U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts (pay: median wage, May 2025; work environment: jobs and self-employed share, 2025) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
• CRA International, Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026 (fiscal 2025) · CRA International, Inc. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2025
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Web Developers and Digital Designers (pay: median wage, May 2025) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Market Research Analysts (pay: median wage, May 2025) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Graphic Designers (pay: median wage, May 2025) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
• Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes) · Internal Revenue Service, 2026
• New York General Business Law section 1410: Definitions (freelance worker) · New York State Senate, 2026
• New York General Business Law section 1411: Contracted compensation payments · New York State Senate, 2026
• Estimated taxes · Internal Revenue Service, 2026
• Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) · Internal Revenue Service, 2026
• Huron Consulting Group Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · Huron Consulting Group Inc. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2025
• New York General Business Law section 1412: Written contracts · New York State Senate, 2026

Every number

• 1.1 millioncensus.gov ·2023 · US consulting businesses with no employees (management, scientific and technical consulting), 2023.
• $59,836census.gov ·2023 · Worked out: what those businesses took in during 2023, divided by how many there were.
• 59.1%census.gov ·2023 · Worked out: the share of those businesses that took in less than the next number in 2023.
• $25,000census.gov ·2023 · One of the Census's lines for grouping businesses by what they took in.
• 14.2%census.gov ·2023 · Worked out: the share of those businesses that took in at least the next number in 2023.
• $100,000census.gov ·2023 · One of the Census's lines for grouping businesses by what they took in.
• $101,860/yearbls.gov ·2025 · Median yearly pay for management analysts, all industries, May 2025.
• 14%bls.gov ·2025 · Share of management analysts' jobs held by self-employed workers, 2025.
• 17%sec.gov ·2025 · CRA International, fiscal 2025: revenue from fixed-price work as a share of revenue.
• 83%sec.gov ·2025 · CRA International, fiscal 2025: revenue billed by the hour (time and materials) as a share of revenue.
• 12 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: manager interviews.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: manager interviews.
• 10 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: writing and running the customer survey.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: writing and running the customer survey.
• 14 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: making sense of the answers.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: making sense of the answers.
• 8 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the report and the presentation.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the report and the presentation.
• 44 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the hours estimated, added up.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the hours estimated, added up.
• $150/hourexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: your hourly rate.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: your hourly rate.
• $6,600example (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.
• 15%example (example number: Simplified example: extra added to the estimate for surprises.) · Simplified example: extra added to the estimate for surprises.
• $990example (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.
• $7,590example (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.
• 50%example (example number: Simplified example: the share of the fee paid before work starts.) · Simplified example: the share of the fee paid before work starts.
• $3,795example (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the deposit share of the fixed fee.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: worked out, the deposit share of the fixed fee.
• 4 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: a call and a written brief.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: a call and a written brief.
• 12 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: logo ideas.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: logo ideas.
• 6 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: two rounds of changes.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: two rounds of changes.
• 20 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: designing and building the pages.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: designing and building the pages.
• 42 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: the hours estimated, added up.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: the hours estimated, added up.
• $100/hourexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: your studio's hourly rate.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: your studio's hourly rate.
• $4,200example (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.
• $630example (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.
• $4,830example (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.
• $2,415example (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, half the fixed fee.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: worked out, half the fixed fee.
• 12 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the partner's hours.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the partner's hours.
• $300/hourexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the partner's hourly rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the partner's hourly rate.
• $3,600example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.
• 40 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the senior consultant's hours.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the senior consultant's hours.
• $180/hourexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the senior consultant's hourly rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the senior consultant's hourly rate.
• $7,200example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.
• 80 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the analyst's hours.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the analyst's hours.
• $110/hourexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the analyst's hourly rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the analyst's hourly rate.
• $8,800example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, hours times the rate.
• $19,600example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the three people added up.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the three people added up.
• $2,940example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the buffer share of the estimate.
• $22,540example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the estimate plus the buffer.
• 30%example (example number: Simplified example: a firm's deposit on a bigger project.) · Simplified example: a firm's deposit on a bigger project.
• $6,762example (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the deposit share of the fixed fee.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: worked out, the deposit share of the fixed fee.
• 62 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the hours it really took, after the extra survey rounds.) · Simplified example: the bakery survey proposal: the hours it really took, after the extra survey rounds.
• $122.42example (example number: Worked out: the fixed fee divided by the hours it really took.) · Worked out: the fixed fee divided by the hours it really took.
• 6.6 hoursexample (example number: Worked out: the buffer divided by the hourly rate.) · Worked out: the buffer divided by the hourly rate.
• 55 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: the hours it really took, after a third round of logo changes and two extra pages.) · Simplified example: the dentist's logo and website proposal: the hours it really took, after a third round of logo changes and two extra pages.
• $87.82example (example number: Worked out: the studio's fixed fee divided by the hours it really took.) · Worked out: the studio's fixed fee divided by the hours it really took.
• 6.3 hoursexample (example number: Worked out: the studio's buffer divided by its hourly rate.) · Worked out: the studio's buffer divided by its hourly rate.
• 160 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the team's hours it really took, after the client added a second warehouse.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the team's hours it really took, after the client added a second warehouse.
• 132 hoursexample (example number: Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the team's hours estimated, added up.) · Simplified example: the warehouse plan proposal: the team's hours estimated, added up.
• $148.48example (example number: Worked out: the firm's estimate divided by the team's estimated hours, an average across the partner, senior consultant and analyst.) · Worked out: the firm's estimate divided by the team's estimated hours, an average across the partner, senior consultant and analyst.
• $140.88example (example number: Worked out: the firm's fixed fee divided by the team's hours it really took.) · Worked out: the firm's fixed fee divided by the team's hours it really took.
• 19.8 hoursexample (example number: Worked out: the firm's buffer divided by its planned average rate.) · Worked out: the firm's buffer divided by its planned average rate.
• $48.97/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for management analysts, all industries, May 2025.
• $50.00/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for web and digital interface designers, all industries, May 2025. Worked out: the yearly median divided by a full-time year of hours, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics does.
• $37.87/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for market research analysts and marketing specialists, all industries, May 2025.
• $30.27/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for graphic designers, all industries, May 2025.
• 15.3%irs.gov ·2026 · The self-employment tax rate: Social Security and Medicare for people who work for themselves.
• 12.4%irs.gov ·2026 · The Social Security part of self-employment tax.
• 2.9%irs.gov ·2026 · The Medicare part of self-employment tax.
• $800nysenate.gov ·2026 · New York: the value of work (alone, or added up with the same client over the next number of days) at which its freelance law applies.
• 120 daysnysenate.gov ·2026 · New York: the window for adding up work for the same client.
• 30 daysnysenate.gov ·2026 · New York: with no payment date in the contract, the most days after the work is finished before payment is due.
• $1,000irs.gov ·2026 · Expect to owe at least this much tax for the year, and you generally pay estimated tax during the year.