I got asked this yesterday:
“What should I charge per hour for dirty soda events?”
And I told her:
👉 $25–$40/hour is a solid starting range
But let me clear something up — because this is where a lot of people get confused.
This Is NOT Your Event Price
Your hourly rate is not what you charge for the whole event.
It’s what you are paying yourself for your time.
Think of it like this:
👉 your hourly rate = your paycheck
👉 your event price = the full business cost
What Your Hourly Rate Actually Covers
This is what YOU make for:
- setup
- serving
- breakdown
- your time + energy
So if you work 4 hours:
- $25/hour = $100 to YOU
- $40/hour = $160 to YOU
That money is separate from everything else.
Then You Add Everything On Top
Your final event price includes:
👉 your hourly pay (this part)
👉 cost of drinks (soda, syrups, cream, ice)
👉 supplies (cups, lids, straws, napkins)
👉 travel costs
👉 your profit
So your pricing structure should look like:
Hourly Pay (YOU)
- Hard Costs (materials)
- Extra Profit
= Final Event Price
Where People Mess This Up
A lot of people:
- only charge based on time
- or pick a random flat price
And they end up:
👉 undercharging
👉 not paying themselves enough
👉 or barely breaking even
Start Here (Keep It Simple)
If you're unsure, start with:
👉 $25/hour if you’re newer
👉 $30–$50/hour if you’re more confident
Then build your full event price on top of that.
If You Want Help Putting It All Together
I made a Quick Event Pricing Worksheet that helps you:
- calculate your hourly pay
- add in your costs
- and figure out your real event price
👉 Grab it here:
Inside the Freebie Vault
And If You Want It Done For You…
Once you start doing events, doing all this manually gets old fast 😅
So I built a tool that:
👉 calculates everything for you
👉 AND turns it into a client-ready quote
👉 Dirty Soda Event Quote Builder
Final Thought
Your hourly rate is YOUR money.
It’s what you bring to the table.
It’s what you deserve to get paid.
Everything else gets added on top.
Don’t mix the two — and don’t short yourself 💛