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Web design and development

Web designers sell build projects and ongoing care plans. Monthly care plans add steady income.

Updated

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What the public data shows

U.S. businesses with no employees in the Census Bureau’s Computer Systems Design and Related Services category (NAICS 54151), 2023.

Broad match — All computer systems design and related services.

Businesses with no employees
343,329
The middle business took in
$10,000–$24,999
in sales for the year, before expenses
Average sales per business
$59,971
pulled up by a few large ones

How much these businesses took in, 2023

  • Under $5,00022%
  • $5,000–$9,99915%
  • $10,000–$24,99921%
  • $25,000–$49,99914%
  • $50,000–$99,99912%
  • $100,000–$249,99911%
  • $250,000–$499,9993%
  • $500,000–$999,9991%
  • $1,000,000–$2,499,999<1%
  • $2,500,000–$4,999,9990%
  • $5,000,000 or more0%

58% took in less than $25,000 for the whole year — many are side or part-time businesses. If you plan to do this full time, your plan needs sales well above the middle. The local plan works out exactly how much.

What these numbers are — and aren’t. Sales (receipts) before any expenses: not profit, and not what the owner takes home. Counts every business with no paid employees that filed a tax return, including side businesses. The Census Bureau adds a small amount of noise to protect privacy. Businesses with employees aren’t included.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2023 (released 2025) (data files), retrieved 2026-10-31.

Main caution: Scope creep is the main risk. Separate the build from ongoing changes and hosting.

What it costs to run

These are the categories to price with local quotes. The plan lists every one of them for you.

Every engagement

  • Themes, plugins and licenses
  • Subcontractor pay per project
  • Other per-sale costs

Every month

  • Software and subscriptions
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Phone and internet
  • Ongoing marketing
  • Training and memberships
  • Bookkeeping and tax preparation
  • Other monthly costs

To start

  • Computer and software
  • Business registration and local licenses
  • Website, logo and booking or store page
  • Other one-time costs

Your own pay is part of the cost, too. The plan works out the price that covers it — or start with how much to charge for web design and development.

Licenses, insurance and rules to check locally

Requirements differ by state, county and city. Check two layers:

1. Your own license, if the work needs one

Some work needs a personal license or certificate (a food-handler card, for example). Search the CareerOneStop License Finder (US Department of Labor) for your kind of work and state.

2. Business licenses, permits and insurance

Start with the SBA: Apply for licenses and permits guide, then your city or county. Questions to answer:

  • Does your city or county require a general business license or registration?
  • What do your contracts say about ownership, hosting and ongoing support?
  • Will you handle customer data, and what privacy rules apply?

Check local prices before you set yours

Get three real prices from web design and development businesses near you, the way a customer would: their websites, a quote request, local listings and review sites, or neighborhood groups. Note what each price includes. Enter them in your local plan — it shows where your price sits and whether your costs leave room to compete.

Test demand before you spend

Offer your first few engagements at your real price to people who match your customer — not discounted favors for friends — before investing in more equipment or marketing.

Decide your pass mark before you start — for example, a set number of paid engagements within 30 days.

Questions your local plan has to answer

  • What do local competitors charge? Ask for quotes the way a customer would.
  • How long does each engagement take you, including travel and preparation?
  • How many engagements can you deliver in a week at a quality you’re proud of?
  • How will customers find you, and what will it cost to win each one?

This profile is educational. It describes how this kind of business generally works; it doesn’t show that it will be profitable where you are, and it isn’t legal, tax or financial advice.