Sfnative - calling all CONSULTANTS.

Deb1010again · ‎05-28-2013

For some reason they closed the commenting period on your thread so I started this one to get you some more info on consulting fees. My one sister has a PhD in Immunology but works writing grants for education. She has a job at a school district and also does outside consulting. So she brings another perspective. I shared YOUR post and mine with her. Here's what she said....

I think Rebecca might get $200-300 per hour in medicine. I charge $125 per hour in education/grant for outside consulting, which is an extra for me (not my bread and butter job). On the one hand there are some similarities (not for profit) but on the other hand medicine does generate revenue which education doesn't and requires more education and technical skills so you should be able to charge more. Most of the consultants we hire charge $600-1,200 per day (about 6 h, in the ed world) - similar to you. Another way to look at it is as a total project cost, and then break it down from there. So for example if it's an 120 h job for you, the total billed would work out to $24,000 to $36,000. What do you know about your client? Is this feasible for them? Is the med school paying or is the surgery department contributing? Because the latter has deeper pockets. Is your expertise unique or are they hiring a consultant because they don't want to bring on an employee? If the former you can charge whatever you want - and if the latter you only need to be sure to sound economical compared to a new hire. You can also ask yourself how much you want to and are able to work, perhaps factor in how much work you think you can get (might be less or might be unlimited) and what you want your annual income to be. Divide and you will have a target rate. Then ask yourself if that seems feasible. Final idea, call your contacts at former jobs and ask what consultants in their areas are charging these days. Good luck!

My other sister has a PhD in Neuroscience and consults in the scientific/medical realm. She's got two young boys and is super busy, but I know she'll bet back to me. I'll share her response when I get it.

I hope this helps.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

Deb,

I almost didn't return to Viewpoints due to comments made by several posters. When I did, the thread was gone, so please know I'm very appreciative of your efforts and those of your sisters to provide me with some terrific information.

Kindly tell your sister that the medical school in question starts with an "H" and that I have a niche job: I know of no other consultant or private sector employee in the U.S. who does what I do. Yes, I know a number of folks who can run such a facility, but do not have the design, build and purchase experience. This makes several points made by your sister extremely valuable.

If I could, I'd drive right over to your house with a great bottle of wine.

Regards,

~Rebecca

Deb1010again · ‎05-28-2013

Hey Rebecca - glad this is helpful. Here's what my other sister offered:

I am not clear on what she is doing -- I can only comment on my type of consulting (writing for academia and pharma/biotech). Generally, I make less from academics than pharma -- there are more levels of bureaucracy that includes a drawn-out process of justifying my hourly or project-negotiated rate, then more forms and waiting to establish me as a vendor. For Columbia Univ. I have to provide justification for my rates showing that I am in the range based on training (degrees, years experience, geographical region) for the field that includes documentation of some variety (published rates from organization, job offers, prior invoices for other clients, etc.). I would suggest that she collects some documentation to support her rates and prepare a rate card that includes items by project and a la carte fees. The project rates should have limits built in (e.g., for me I have different rates based on how organized the material I get is and I limit the rounds of revision allowed before re-negotiation; I also set time to delivery). For a la carte, break down tasks based effort; I charge more for statistics than writing, for example. You can also offer a discount for a certain amount of work (for me, I offer a discount if they want me to write up a symposia, for example, which is a group of related articles). Is that helpful? I hope so. If she is doing any medical writing & editing, I can provide more specific information.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

Deb,

Please do thank your second sister for me: I can take nothing for granted, so each morsel of information is helpful. Though I will not be submitting papers of a clinical nature, those I do create will be expository, along with spreadsheets and CAD drawings.

Further explanation: I will be a member of a very small design, build and stock team which is creating a much-needed surgical training suite for a highly visible medical school. The knowledge required for this project ranges from 12 surgical services to plumbing/electrical to specimen tables and to designing and equiping a separate microvascular surgery teaching suite. There is much more involved, but brevity must rule.

Do thank both of your sisters again for me. And kudos to you for picking up this entire matter up once again and breathing life into my initial query.

You are very speical!

~Rebecca