What Is the Difference Between Entry-Level, Mid-Level, and Expert-Level Freelancers?

On the FreeUp marketplace, the freelancers are divided into three general levels to help you choose the best one for your needs.

Below we discuss the basic criteria of basic, mid, and expert level freelancers so you can get an idea of what the levels mean.

Knowing what they do, their rates, and how they work helps you to better define the scope of the project and the hours that you will need, and plan out deadlines and budgets.

Entry Level Freelancers ($5 – $10 / hour)

Entry level freelancers on the FreeUp marketplace are doers and followers.

They are fast learners, but you’ll need to train them to follow your system and show them what you want them to do.

You can expect to pay around $5 to $10 per hour for these freelancers, depending on the specific tasks you are outsourcing.

They are best suited for accomplishing basic tasks and following systems and processes that you already have set in place.

Here are some examples of tasks that you can hire basic level freelancers for:

Basic Tasks

• Data Entry
• Research and Lead Generation – customer lists, social media connections, email collection, products and suppliers search, podcast and blog outreach
• Organization – personal assistant, calendar scheduling, appointment setting
• Basic Bookkeeping – routine tasks (trained)
• Customer Service and Tech Support – basic email, chat and phone (canned responses)
• Basic Transcription
• Telemarketing – basic outreach (canned responses)
• eCommerce Operations – bulk listing uploads, checking feedback and inventory, order fulfillment, returns and refunds
• SEO – Analytics reporting

Mid-Level Freelancers ($10 – $30 / hour)

Mid-level freelancers on the FreeUp marketplace are those with a specialization or previous experience in certain areas.

You won’t have to train these freelancers on their skill set, but they generally will need guidance on what you’d like to accomplish.

You can expect to pay around $10 to $30 per hour for these freelancers, depending on the specific tasks you are outsourcing.

One important note here is the price range is large and accounts for international vs US pricing. For example, while you can find a mid-level SEO internationally in the ~$15 / hour range, a mid-level US SEO would start near the upper part of the range.

Here are some examples of tasks that you can hire mid-level freelancers for:

Specialized Tasks

• Content Writing and Editing – Blog posts and website content, Amazon listings, business communications and other documents
• Project Management – area-specific management of other workers such as website build, content calendars, eCommerce supplier communication, inventory management, customer service
• Marketing and Branding
• Email Marketing – execution of campaigns, some campaign creation
• SEO – keyword research, onpage optimization and backlinking, eCommerce listings, social media engagement and relationship building, traffic generation
• Graphic Design – logos, product design, website banners, social media graphics, Photoshop, 3D graphics
• Telemarketing – advanced outreach (on the spot responses)
• Audio, Video, Photography – creation and editing
• Click Funnels
• Excel – formula creation, custom reports
• Translation – eCommerce listings, business documents
• Bookkeeping – advanced accounting
• Customer Service and Tech Support – advanced email, chat and phone (on the spot responses)
• Programming & Development – website creation, modification, customization, front-end and back-end, apps and software

Expert Level Freelancers ($30 – $75+ / hour)

Expert level freelancers on the FreeUp marketplace are those with high-level skills and experience. They are consultants, strategists, and planners, and are useful in certain cases to execute the most difficult and skill-intensive tasks.

Expert level freelancers are a good fit if you don’t have a process in place yet, or you’re looking to execute a new strategy.

You can expect to pay around $30 to $75 per hour or more for these freelancers, depending on the specific tasks you are outsourcing.

Usually, the first hour or so billed will be dedicated to conducting a discovery phase and creating a proposed plan of action. Once you approve the game plan, the expert can begin to take action.

These expert-level freelancers can consult, build systems and processes, and even manage projects completely independently from you and send reports.

Here are some examples of tasks that you can hire expert level freelancers for:

High Level Tasks

• Consulting – online arbitrage, drop shipping, marketplace-specific planning, Amazon private label, social media and email marketing campaign planning
• Management – independent control over website builds, blogs, complete eCommerce operations
• Marketing & Strategy (SEO, PPC, Facebook Ads campaign creation)
• Conversion Rate Optimization
• Excel – Vlookup, Macros, custom reports
• Amazon Merch – designs, listings
• Programming & Development

Conclusion

So now that the difference between basic, mid, and expert level freelancers is clear, it’s time to complete those worker requests!

You know what you’re looking to get help doing, and you have a better idea of whether you need entry, mid, or expert-level freelancers to do it.

List out the different tasks that you need to pass off. Think about the skill and experience level that you need and write that down next to each task – entry-level, mid-level, or expert-level freelancers.

Then simply Sign up for an account and put in a request for each task or project area with the appropriate level and rate range. Having this worked out goes a long way to getting you the best freelancer for your needs.