i too am new in the business and looked into pricing. most tilers charge per square foot plus materials. now all i need to know is how much to charge per square foot. any ideas? im doing a tile backsplash right now.

prices vary widely around the country. I charge $5 a sq ft labor only here in NJ. Prep work is extra, diagonal and other special patterns are extra, stone tiles are extra and mosaics are extra. Travel time and jobsite conditions also come into play. Figure out the time for the whole job and figure in what you want in your pocket each day after expenses. Whatever that comes to, work it into an hourly rate or a square ft rate or a whole job rate. Whole job is easiest to deal with, any add-ons become extras.