Ask ten thumbnail designers for their rates and you'll get ten answers. The gaps are huge, and copying someone else's price won't tell you whether it works for you. Better to build your own, from numbers you know.
Step 1: your floor price
Time your next few thumbnails, from brief to delivery, revisions included. Multiply that time by the hourly rate you need, taxes and business expenses included. That's your floor: below it, you're working at a loss.
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Time per thumbnail | 2 h 30 min (brief, design, one revision) |
| Target hourly rate | €30 |
| Floor price | 2.5 × 30 = €75 |
These numbers are only here to show the calculation, they're not a recommended price. Yours depends on your skill level, your speed and your country.
Step 2: what's included, what's extra
| Included in the price | Optional extras |
|---|---|
| A fixed number of revisions (for example two) | Any revisions beyond that |
| Your usual turnaround | Rush delivery |
| The final file in JPG or PNG | The source file (PSD) |
| One version | Extra versions for an A/B test |
| Images supplied by the client | Complex cutouts, illustrations, a photo shoot |
Writing this list down once saves you from negotiating case by case, and shows the client exactly what they're paying for.
Step 3: move to a package
Selling one thumbnail at a time means landing a client all over again every week. A monthly package matched to the channel's upload schedule (4 or 8 thumbnails a month, for example) gives you predictable income, and gives the client a consistent visual identity.
Standing by your price
- Give a firm price, not a range.
- Attach the “included / optional” list to every quote.
- Ask new clients for a deposit.
- Raise your prices for new clients as your schedule fills up.
What loses you money
- Unlimited revisions: every extra round eats into your hourly rate.
- Verbal agreements: a recap message is enough, but you need something in writing.
- Racing to the bottom on price: a race you can't win, and rarely one that brings the nicest clients.