The temp agencies have a "minimum pay" agreement with their clients that requires the client to pay a mininum of four hours if the temp shows up. So, you as a temp are entitled to a minimum of four hours pay if you show up on a job and the client then cancels the jobs.

Look at your time sheet and it will tell you how hours are billed. Some idiot clients will put 4:45pm on your time sheet instead of 50pm because they are aholes and they think that they are cheating you out of pay. Ignore them, the general rule is that 1/2 hour is the minimum fractional time so there is no difference between 4:45pm and 50pm.

Pay rates are all over the place. Just be aware that if you go on a temp assignment and there are other temps there, then there are probably temps who are making more than you and less than you.

There are some temps who get off on going aware telling you that they have worked for your agency for years and years and that they are making more than you. These people don't know how much you make because the agency won't tell them. It is better if you don't discuss rates with other temps, you accepted the job at the rate that was quoted to you and if you really want more money go out and register with other agencies that will pay you more.

A ball park view of rates is $14-$25+/hr for word processing clerical during the day and $18-$35+/hr for word processing after five. But again the rates are all over the place.

One thing to keep in mind is that working just one hour beyond seven hours can change a low rate into a better rate. Some employers/clients require that you take a 1 hour lunch, this affects the amount of money you will make. So if that assignment requires a 1 hour lunch and pays $16.00/hr, you could probably make more money staying in bed and collecting unemployment that day. Any pay below $16.00 could be substantially below the $400.00 you can collect in unemployment, by law (at least at one time anyway) unemployment did not require anyone to take a job that paid substantially below their normal salary. But a refusal of work could result in your being disqualified for unemployment all together (so it's better NOT to get offered jobs that pay $14.00/hr).