How many WW members professional webmasters?

[wolfadeus]

Are there any reliable estimates on how many of the slightly more senior WW members - say "preferred" or older - managed to develop and monetise websites beyond the "magical" border of 100 USD/day?

To make a start: I havn't.

I have asked this question in this forum in 2005, after just discovering the wonderful world of web development. I wonder whether attitudes/the situation has changed since then.

[mcneely]

Our firm grossed just a hair under 115k in the first 2 quarters of 2007 and there are 6 of us. I don't think any of us here would consider ourselves webmasters.

Hmmm.. webmasters.... Masters Of The Web... not likely.

Some here work by the hour, others on commission.
Both myself and my partner can, and often times do, make less in a year than our IT people do and we own the company.

[pageoneresults]

I would seem to think that a Professional Webmaster is not going to disclose his/her income. Most professionals don't. ;)

[mcneely]

Aye, but they do.

Doctor Widget, or Professor Boz most likely won't (being individuals, and professional at that), but our earnings are usually published online anyway at the end of the year.

[seanpecor]

$0/day in 1973 <-- Just born, gimme a break!
$109/day in 2002 <-- Living in a double-wide, baby!
$273/day in 2003
$547/day in 2004 <-- Wheee, a real house!
$1,095/day in 2005 <-- Wheee, a 38 acre horse farm!
$1,643/day in 2006 <-- Wheee, 74 acres!
$2,191/day in 2007 <-- Wheee, 128 acres!

I've got one contract dude who handles most customer support and I concentrate on design, coding, admin, seo, marketing, copywriting and business development. I'm trying to see how big I can go before I need to take off one of my hats and actually hire someone.

I don't think I'm the most successful dotcom entrepreneur working by their lonesome on WebmasterWorld but I suppose I may be in the top tier. I'm pretty driven. If I didn't spend most of my time (and about 15 minutes a day on my web properties) in 2005 and 2006 and half of 2007, I may have ramped up revenue even more. But all work and no play makes Sean a dull boy. I want to break 7 digits next year and I'm working hard to achieve that objective. I've started working 20 hours a week doing dotcom work and I'm really enjoying it. It's a good balance, and I'm making alot of progress.

Sean

[pageoneresults]

But our earnings are usually published online anyway at the end of the year.

Published earnings are just like statistics, they are all lies. ;)

The question of the topic was...

How many WW members professional webmasters?

We're trying to define "Professional" based on income levels which isn't the correct metric. Not all "Professionals" make high income. In fact, many don't.

So, maybe we should rephrase the question and ask...

How many WW Member are Professional Webmasters who have finally broken the $100.00 per day income barrier?

And then we need to find out exactly what that $100.00 is. Before taxes? After taxes? Before expenses? After expenses? $100 per day won't get you jack in some areas of the world. In others, you'd live like a King.

Earning $100 per day is not the same as "taking home" $100 per day. ;)

[nomis5]

The original queation also asked for a yes or no answer to above or below $100 per day. The answer to that question divulges almost nothing income-wise. Above $100 might mean $101 or it might mean $101,000, who knows. Below might mean £1 or $99. To me the question (broadly) was a valid one. Earnings of $30 a day indicates, to me at least, that the webmaster is unlikely to be a career webmaster at the moment. Earnings of $300 a day indicates, to me at least, that the webmaster is serious (or very lucky) about their web pages.

It seems odd that so many have dissected the OP's post when, semantics aside, we know what the post was asking. Are you serious enough about the web to get yourself into a position to give up the day job or already have done so? Fair enough question.

[King_Fisher]

In sports a professional is any one who plays for money, It could be a professional team such as Football or a solo sport such as tennis or
golf. As long as they earn their living full time from a sport they are
considers a profesional. Perhaps the same applies to being A webmaster, If you
pretty much make your living on line then perhaps you are a Professional Webmaster.(or then again maybe not!) :o)...KF

[mjwalshe]

Hmm

wel technicaly a professional is some one who does thejob for a liveing so if you main job is a webmaster you a profesional.

More pedanticaly theras a whole set of what makes a "profesional" a saleried as oposed to a hourly rate. If you set you own hours is another indicator.

For example a Charterd Enginer is a profesional whist an Car Mechanic is probaly not (ingnoring jobs like a F1 Mech

I wonder what percentage of googles "engineers" are realy engineers

[Fortune Hunter]

Lots of people are happier making less money but with more flexibility in their lifestyle.

I would agree with this 100%, however a better situation is lots of money and flexibility :)

However back to the original question, I am self-employed and while I won't disclose total income I will say I am over the $100 per day metric we started with. My income is derived from a variety of sources, but most of it is related to the web in some way.

As for PageonResults question, I think professional has two attributes...

1. You do this full time.

2. You make at least enough to live on (regardless of your chosen level you choose to live at).

I don't even think it matters if you do this for yourself or work somewhere, just that you do "it" full time and make enough to live on. Some will do this by being fully self-employed like me and some will work for others. The skill set you have is probably similar regardless if you work for others or yourself.

[HarryM]

For example a Charterd Enginer is a profesional whist an Car Mechanic is probaly not

This definition of a professional derives from a snobbish attitude which is no longer current. Today the term is (or should be) merely a synonym for job, or sometimes a job well done when used as an adjective.

The term arose when the Gentry class (a hereditary class living off unearned incomes) had to face the fact that Lawyers knew all about their affairs, Preachers their souls, and Doctors their wife's anatomy. But as these people worked for a living they couldn't be considered gentlemen so the fiction developed that they were honarary gentlemen because they "professed" to be "called" to that work as a vocation and would have done it even if they hadn't been paid. They were not elegible to be called "Mr." like a true gentleman but were given titles to distinguish them from the masses - Dr., Rev, and Esq.

Personally I think its about time the term professional should be condemned to oblivion. LLTR!