I Found a Place That Pays $500 an Hour (Yes, Really)

A few months ago, I stumbled onto a platform that made me question everything I’d been doing as a freelancer.

There it was:
💼 A consulting project.
💸 $20,000 budget.
⌛ 6-week timeline.

And the kicker?
It wasn’t some giant corporation looking for a team.
It was one guy — just like me — charging $300 an hour to fix a business strategy.

That platform? Catalant.
And no, this isn’t one of those “anyone can do it in 3 clicks” stories.
This is for a very specific type of person — someone who’s already done the work.

But if that’s you?
You could be sitting on a goldmine you didn’t know existed.
What You’ll Get from This Article

⚙️ What Catalant is (and what it definitely isn’t)

🎯 Who should be using it

🛠 How to set yourself up to win on the platform

💼 What kind of projects and money we’re talking about

💡 Why this might be the upgrade your freelance career needs

So, What the Heck Is Catalant?

Imagine if Upwork and McKinsey had a baby.

That’s Catalant.

It’s not Fiverr. It’s not some wild west gig economy playground.
This is where Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, and fast-scaling startups go to find brains, not just hands.

They’re not looking for someone to “do SEO” for $50.
They’re hiring people to fix real business problems — at real business prices.

And yes, the pay?
We’re talking $100 to $500 per hour.
No fluff. No hype. That’s the actual going rate.

Sounds doable? Keep reading.
Who Catalant Is (And Isn’t) For

Let’s be real:
Catalant isn’t for everyone. And that’s exactly why it works.

Here’s who should be paying attention:

🧠 Ex-consultants from McKinsey, Bain, Deloitte, or boutique firms

🧑‍💼 Former corporate execs (think VP of Ops, Strategy Leads, CFOs)

🏭 Industry veterans (tech, pharma, finance, manufacturing)

👨‍💻 Independent consultants who’ve been there, done that

Basically, if you’ve led, built, or solved something in the business world — and you’ve got the case studies to prove it — Catalant is where you get paid what you’re actually worth.

But if you’re still “figuring things out”?
Or you’ve only done theoretical work or side gigs?
This might not be the lane — yet.
How You Actually Get Hired (Step-by-Step)

Let me walk you through how this works in the real world:

1. Craft a Killer Profile

Think pitch deck, not resume.
Catalant clients don’t care about fluff — they want results.

Here’s what your profile should include:

Clear business wins: “Increased ARR by 27% in 9 months for fintech client”

Industries served: Don’t just say “tech” — say “enterprise SaaS, healthtech, AI tools”

Leadership roles: “Former VP of Product at $100M startup”

Certifications or specialties: CFA? PMP? Put it front and center

Your profile is your storefront. Make it impossible to ignore.

2. Browse or Get Matched to Projects

Catalant sends you curated opportunities — or you can browse manually.

These aren’t $300 blog post gigs. Try these on for size:

“Develop a 3-year financial model and investor pitch for Series B startup”

“Design post-merger integration strategy for $400M acquisition”

“Lead operations overhaul for a global manufacturer”

Budgets?
Anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000+ per engagement.
And yes, that’s often for 4–8 week projects.

You send a proposal. If it gets past Catalant’s screen, it lands in the client’s inbox.

3. Deliver Like a Pro

This is where you shine.
Catalant handles the paperwork, compliance, and payments.

You just show up, crush the project, and bill your time — or charge a flat fee.

Typical rates are:

$150/hour for general consulting

$300/hour for strategic or technical work

$500/hour+ if you’re a unicorn 🦄

This is the platform where you finally stop trading time for pennies… and start getting paid for your thinking.
“Why Haven’t I Heard About This?”

Because Catalant doesn’t run Facebook ads.
It’s not shouting on Twitter.
It doesn’t try to be “cool” or “viral.”

It’s quiet.
Selective.
Trust-based.

Which means if you do get in — you’re not competing with 1,000 other freelancers pitching the same client.

You’re in a room with 10 people — and all of them actually know what they’re doing.
The Moment It Clicked for Me

I remember laughing the first time I saw a $20,000 Catalant project.

Not because it wasn’t real.

But because I realized…
I’d done work that good — for $800.

For a flaky startup.
For someone who ghosted me.
For a “friend of a friend” who promised exposure.

Sound familiar?

Platforms like Catalant exist so that never happens again.

You’ve already earned the skills.
You’ve already delivered results.
Now you just need to start charging like it.
Final Thoughts: Could This Be Your Wake-Up Call?

Ask yourself:

Tired of lowball offers?

Got 10+ years of business experience?

Know how to build, fix, or grow something… for real?

Then why are you still undercharging?

Catalant isn’t easy.
It’s not fast.
It’s not for beginners.

But it’s real.

You don’t need to pitch 30 clients to land one $500 gig.

You need one right project — to remind yourself what your time is actually worth.

So here’s the question:
What’s stopping you? 👀