A few of your friends have noticed how well you’ve been assembling PCs and have asked how much you charge to do it. You’ve been reluctant to charge anyone for your services, but you want to start making a steady income from building computers. So, how much do computer builders make?
The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it might seem. In order to make a good living from building PCs, you’ll need to find a niche that will allow you to distinguish yourself from the competition. One of the most popular niches for PC Builders is for gaming rigs. However, this is a very competitive market with the majority of people buying their computers from Dell or HP. Another good option is to build servers. This is a lucrative market as many of the servers that are used in data centers require special hardware that is not readily available in stores.
Assuming you have the proper training and skills, you can start charging about $75 per hour to assemble a basic system for your customers. This includes the motherboard, power supply, and CPU. You can also add an SSD (solid state drive) or HDD (hard disk drives) for storage. You’ll likely need to install an operating system and programs as well, so this will add to the time spent on each build. In some cases, customers may require software that is not available for free or on the standard Microsoft store. This may include CAD software, scientific simulations, or machine learning platforms.
