Setting your rate — and raising it — without the flinch

Money conversations are where a lot of good caregivers lose income they've earned. Not because they're bad at the work — because no one ever showed them how to say a number and stop talking.

Know three figures before the conversation

• Your floor. The rate below which the job isn't worth it. Non-negotiable.
• Your anchor. The number you say first — at the top of your reasonable range.
• Your local market. Ground it in real data. The BLS wage figures (linked below) are a starting point; adjust for your area and specialty.

Say the number, then be quiet

When a family asks what you charge, give your anchor as a plain sentence: "My rate is $28 an hour." Then stop. The silence feels long. Let it be. Filling it is how people negotiate against themselves.

Raising a rate with an existing client

The hardest one. A script that works:

Notice: warm, specific, future-dated, no apology, no justification requested.

Put it in writing

Whatever you agree, confirm it in a short message or a simple contract. See our contractor-vs-employee guide for why the paper trail also matters at tax time.

General guidance, not financial advice — your situation is your own.