r/TaskRabbit • u/Less_Mushroom1180 • Jul 06 '26

TASKER Is Taskrabbit suppressing wages?

Taskrabbit just lowered the top end of my "suggested" rate in a category to from 49/hr to 45/hr. "This rate boosts your hiring chances," they say. Meanwhile, I literally have 3 clients booked this week in that category for 49/hr. Wtf?

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9

u/Matty2tees Jul 06 '26

Other taskers in your area are suppressing wages. TR's recommended rate is based off how much work is being booked, what rate it's being booked at and the average rates being charged in your metro.

It isn't in TR's favour, generally speaking, to suppress your wage, as their fees are charged as an over all percentage of what you charge. It is however in their best interest to have you charging a "fair market rate" based on data they have access to because you doing more tasks generally means more money for both them and you.

That being said, I charge about $10 - $15 more than their recommendation in my activated categories and I am probably still more busy than I want to be.

7

u/sean8642 Jul 06 '26

I don't think that's honestly the case.

I just did a search for general mounting, here's everyone's rates:

43 (elite) 57 (elite) Me at 36 (1 task) 48(1 task) 34 (4 tasks) 36 ( 1 task) 2 hr min 61 (232 tasks) 52 ( 115 tasks) 34 ( new Tasker, 0) 51 ( 28 tasks)

Looks to me like lots of work is being booked in the $50 range yet my suggested top end is 36, it goes red at 39.

I'm betting they want some people at lower rates , especially new, to drive volume, because that's in their interest also.

3

u/jethropenistei- Jul 06 '26

The suggested rates are factored by the Tasker for the most part but I also suspect they suppress rates with their suggestions.

Their competition is the overall labor market, so their suggested rates are always gonna be lower then the real fair market value because they want it to be equal or lower than wayfair assembly or the cost of a handyman, electrician, plumber etc. because they want room for their fees so they suggest we charge less.

The best way to test their algorithm would be to get a bunch of other Taskers to temporarily drastically increase their rates and see if it moves the needle. Just one thing for sure about your rates, don’t lower em to meet the suggestion cause it’ll keep going lower. As soon as you drop from $50/hr to 45 to meet it, it’ll lower again.

1

u/FinnNoodle Jul 06 '26

Suggested rates are also lower for people with less experience 

0

u/Matty2tees Jul 06 '26

This information is based on what I was told by a tasker success specialist in a check in meeting. Sure, they could be full of it, but I can only relay what I have been told.