I've been doing designs in Canva and Figma for about 3 months now, and some of my friends have already asked me to do work for them. I'm not sure what rate to charge because I see other designers charging anywhere from $10 an hour to $50. What would be a fair price for someone just starting out?
With three months of experience and no solid portfolio yet, somewhere between $15 and $25 an hour is realistic to start, or you can charge a flat project rate (like $50 - 150 depending on complexity) instead of hourly if you prefer. The important thing is not to go below $10 - 12 an hour because that just devalues the work and then it's hard to raise prices later. Plus, your first projects with friends are an investment in experience and portfolio: consider doing one or two almost for free if they really help you improve and document what you do, but after that protect your rate properly.
Don't let yourself be pressured into charging too little just because you're starting out; that said, $10 an hour is giving your work away. The $15-25 per hour range is fine for a beginner, but honestly you'd be better off charging a flat project rate (like $75-200 depending on how complex it is) because that way you don't underestimate how much time it takes, and friends tend to ask for things "quick" when you're charging hourly.
What I'd look at is how much time each design actually takes you, because hourly rates can be misleading if you're still working slowly. Better to start charging a flat project fee - something like $30-80 depending on whether it's a simple logo, a flyer, or something more complex - that way you're not stressing about the clock and the client knows exactly what they're paying for. While you're building your portfolio, you can do some cheaper work with friends or people you know to have cases to show, but don't undervalue yourself too much because then it's hard to raise your prices later.
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