FAQ

The UXr Guild charges a markup of 19.89% for researchers working on an hourly basis. For example, if we pay the researcher $100/hr., we bill the client $119.89/hr. We also provide fixed bids for projects, if desired, provided that sufficient information is available.

We invoice employers weekly for all hours worked, and we pay researchers after we receive payment. Payment is due within 30 days of the first day worked. Invoices not paid within 30 days incur a 2% surcharge. Our minimum engagement is 100 hours, and our minimum markup is $10 per hour. We require a $1,000 deposit to initiate a search and a $5,000 deposit to book a researcher in advance. For fixed-bid projects, we require a 25% down payment to initiate the project.

See our Rates page for pay and bill rates for researchers at each level of experience. If you have found your own researcher and need the Guild to provide third-party payment and billing services, we charge 9.89% to track hours, generate invoices, and pay a researcher as a 1099 independent contractor.

Travel costs:
If researchers are required to travel, clients must pay transportation, lodging, and per diem expenses. If the researcher or the Guild pays these expenses, the Guild will bill them to the client with a 10% administrative fee. We typically pay researchers 50% of their regular rate for travel time.

Researchers can apply to join the Guild or be recommended by a Guild researcher, board member, or staff member. We interview all researchers to assess their education, work history, and research expertise. We also require that researchers obtain endorsements from previous employers to evaluate their performance in past roles. We determine whether a researcher is qualified to work with the Guild based on our interview, previous manager endorsements, research expertise, and work samples. Guild membership is not typically granted until after researchers work on Guild projects as associates, which allows us to evaluate their performance firsthand.

1. You must have a minimum of 36 months of UX research experience.
2. You must live and be authorized to work in the United States or Canada.
3. To apply, complete this form: https://forms.gle/wxGSETs5omhYRDiq7
4. After reviewing your application, we may request a one-on-one interview.
5. Previous to being placed on a contract, you must obtain endorsements from previous employers.

If you are placed on a contract, we require you to:
1. Complete an independent contractor agreement and a Form W-9. The client may have additional paperwork such as their own NDA or IC agreement.
2. Track your tasks and hours in a shared spreadsheet daily.
3. Submit an invoice to the Guild every month for payment.

Pay rates vary based on the experience required, type of research, length of engagement, and the budget of the client. We cannot guarantee what rate you may be offered for a specific job, but these are representative pay ranges:

Guild researchers are free to maintain their own clients or a full-time job, as long as they are able to meet the requirements of projects they accept with the Guild. Independent contractors are inherently free to work for multiple clients.

The same standards apply to showing work from Guild clients as to other companies with which you may have worked. The client must approve, in writing, that you are free to show the work. This is unlikely if the work would divulge confidential data and findings to those outside the company, The client may grant approval more readily if sensitive details are scrubbed from the case study. They may also allow work to be shown in person, during an interview, rather than sharing or posting it in an online portfolio.

Employees are subject to greater control and supervision by their employers. They are eligible for health benefits, overtime pay, social security and SDI taxes paid by the employer, and worker’s compensation if injured. Whether onsite or offsite, they are more likely to be working under the supervision of a single employer. Their wages are reported on a Form W-2 at year end.

By contrast, researchers working as independent contractors are self-employed. They have greater control over their work-life but no employee benefits. They typically work at home and set their own schedules, often balancing multiple clients. They pay “self-employment” tax of approximately 15% of income (for social security and Medicare), vs. employees who pay 7½% tax, with the employer paying the other half. Their income is reported on Form 1099.

All Guild research projects are for researchers working as independent contractors.

To be successful as an independent researcher, you must have the experience companies need. Generally, they want researchers who do high-quality work, have mastered various research methods, industries, and tools, and understand their users. They want you to be able to transfer your expertise to their products, industry, users, and problems. Ideally, employers want researchers who have already worked in their industry, solved similar problems with similar products, and know their users. Your case studies are vital to show this.

The most common transition strategy is to work as an employee until you acquire experience that is sufficiently marketable. Some independent researchers start by working part-time, alongside their full-time job. This removes most of the risk of self-employment. If you don’t get work, you still have your full-time job and salary. If you are able to obtain part-time work, you can build your skills and add case studies to your portfolio as you gain more experience.

Past employers and former colleagues are ideal first clients while you build your customer base. Various long-term, part-time roles can provide more stability than one full-time contract. This process of obtaining marketable research skills and corresponding clients usually takes years. The Guild will be working with you to find opportunities that allow you to progress as an independent researcher.

Working as an independent contractor does not require that you establish a separate business entity for self-employment. You can simply work as a sole proprietor. You can use your own name for the sole proprietorship. Your social security number can be your employer identification number (EIN). When you do your taxes, you declare your self-employment income by filling out a Schedule C (plus the equivalent state tax form) for the IRS along with your Form 1040.

Calculating, depositing, and paying the correct amount of tax is more challenging as an independent contractor. As an employee, it is withheld from your paychecks, but not with 1099s. Once your self-employment income surpasses $20,000, it might be wise to estimate your taxes and start making quarterly tax deposits.

If your goal is to be self-employed full-time, you may want to create a professional business entity, by doing the following:

• Choose a business name.
• Make sure it is not being used by anyone else in your state by performing a name search (through your state’s secretary of state website).
• Choose and set up a business entity: sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation.
• Obtain an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS.
• Set up a business bank account to separate business income and expenses from your personal finances, and keep records.
• Calculate and make quarterly tax deposits and complete a separate business tax return.

While this may sound daunting, it is relatively straightforward. It can be done with online resources for $500 or less, or with professional help from a bookkeeper or CPA, and lawyer.

Before working with UXr Guild, we require that you obtain endorsements from past clients or managers who have overseen your work. The manager will fill out a brief Google Form, which will remain private. The form asks them to rate your work in various areas, such as research study design, qualitative and quantitative research skills, data analysis and reporting, work quality and quantity, collaboration, and communication.

To request an endorsement, send this link to the manager:
https://forms.gle/JnBjho84TnZFwrt2A.