Three concepts determine a genealogist's rates. First, rates charged by genealogists vary widely depending upon locality, experience, education and credentials. Genealogists who charge higher rates do not necessary do better research. However, some genealogists who charge lower rates may be less educated, inexperienced, and their work may be less than satisfactory. A good rule of thumb is if the business has been operating for sometime, then market forces would force them to either lower their fees for inadequate work or force them out of the market completely.
Many genealogists charge more to afford the ongoing training needed to provide better service.
Second, the nature of the work may affect rates. For example, record searching is less demanding than researching a lineage. Consequently, a record searcher generally charges less than a genealogist. Third, reputable genealogists cannot guarantee to find the specific information you need. For example, if the census taker missed your great-grandfather's house, even the best genealogist will not be able to find his name in the census.