It's a common question that people ask me how do I get a high paying freelance job. Well, today, I'll share with you my thoughts why this question isn't something you should even ask others but something that you should ask yourself and should be answered by yourself alone too.

The truth is, getting a high paying job is real and it's just out there. Whether you are on oDesk, or Elance, or Freelancer.com or just selling your service directly through your website, a high paying job is just a matter of – asking for it.

Our most common notion is that high paying jobs are offered to us. It's the client's sole decision whether they're going to give us that dream rate or not, but the truth is, you have to know your worth and let other people know that by telling them how much you want to be paid, PERIOD!

My personal thoughts

What exactly is a high paying job for you? I have a $20/hr job and I'd say it's a high paying job, but it may not be the same for others. Someone is probably looking at a $2000 per month project and consider it a high paying job, but to some it may just be a regular pay.

Getting a high paying job is really subjective. In most cases, and my personal thought on this is that it depends on your assessment and criteria on what a high paying job is. Some may look at the outright dollar value, but some may find that a job that's paying $10 per hour with 15 day annual paid leave with health insurance as a high paying job already. So to help you out, let's first set some criteria so you will be able to ensure that you are landing on what you believe is a high paying freelance job.

1. Set your ideal fixed rate or hourly rate

In many cases, the reason why you are actually not getting high paying jobs is because you settle for the low paying jobs. As simple as that. Do you remember how in the past you have submitted your proposal that's worth $500 but reduced it to $250? I guess that rings a bell to many of us. I too have done that before.

My point is, if you really want a high paying job, then you have to set that mark and don't settle for anything less than that because in the end, you'll most likely regret it.

Be firm. If you will not decide to choose to stick on your preferred rate, then you'll always end up with a second rate pay.

2. Put a price value to your experience and the client's experience when they hire you 

There have been a lot of instances where clients would compare my rate with other freelancers and they would try to talk me into lowering my fee, but I don't remember if I had ever considered lowering my fee just because of the comparison. What I always try to keep in mind is the kind of service that my clients will receive if they sign up for my service. I always try to point out my track record and the number of projects I've successfully handled to really cement my claim that I'm worth every penny I'm charging them. So my suggestion, before you start looking at setting your rate, have a quick evaluation of your experience and expertise. Have you proven in your previous projects that you're good at what you do? Are there client testimonials to back up your claim? Once you're comfortable answering that question, then you should feel a lot more comfortable charging for your service and getting that high pay you deserve.

3. Know the value of your service

Do you know how much your service is worth? Honestly, many of us undercharge for our service because we think it is easy. But have you considered how much value you are providing for your clients? Think about an executive who wants to start podcasting. If he takes care of his podcast audio editing, he'll probably spend two-three- or even four hours in front of his computer fiddling through Adobe Audition or Audacity, which means, he's wasting precious money and causing unnecessary stress of doing it on his own. That's probably worth hundreds of dollars already. So make sure you help them realize that. The time and the stress that you can save them, is priceless.

4. Know their budgets

While it is true that you may be worth the high pay for the service you're going to provide, be realistic that not all clients have deep pockets to give what you're asking them. Check the project's budget. If the budget is way below what you'd like to get paid, I suggest that you steer away from it. Always remember point number one.

To sum it all up, if you want a high paying job, you need to start charging that rate on your next client because they will most likely not come to you and volunteer to pay you your preferred rate. But on top of the rate, be sure you know the value of your service and how this will impact your client so they can get a clearer picture of what they're really paying you for that rate. However, don't neglect that clients also have their limits so be sure that you're talking to the right person with the right budget.