I'm tired of fighting beginner artists on this who want to become full time freelancers. Every time it comes up, someone is charging $1 for portraits and wondering why most of their clients think it's either "too expensive" (should be free) or most are just trying to scam them. You try to come in and explain how consumer psychology works in this field. Art is not a mass produced good, it is a custom luxury. This means you get what you pay for. Professional, master level artists charge thousands for their work. Therefore, consumers who want high quality art, especially for their projects that must be commercially successful, aren't even going to give a second look at someone charging $30. To them, the price tag indicates an amateur.
Yes, you do need to start somewhere. But $1 is not a starting point. $10, is not even a starting point. These sorts of pricings say one thing about you to everyone else: "My art is not valuable". So of course, the sorts of clientele who're within the bottom of the bucket budget range think you're way too expensive. If you don't value your work enough to charge accordingly for the time you'd spend creating it, why should people be forced to pay your pittance? Either you have a business or you don't. You have to decide. Why on earth do you think you're going to attract quality customers when your own pricing says that you won't put in quality effort to the work? You clearly don't value your art, therefore you do not value yourself.
Even if you were an amazing artist who was selling for $20, the higher clientele will look at that and think, "Well, they might rush it because it's so cheap. " You're not going to be making hobby money for years and then magically be contacted by a triple A game company to do concept art for them for thousands one day. That's not how it works. You're a CEO of your own company. YOU are the one who advocates for yourself. YOU advocate for higher pay. "But Spudfuzz I won't get as many clients if I charge more!"
Then boo hoo, be a unknown artist forever charging pocket change for 12 year olds if you're not willing to make some sacrifice to reach the top. Making those contacts in the upper echelons takes time. If you're not willing to put in that effort, then this career track is not for you. Maybe you should go for something safer like McDonalds or Walmart. When you run a business it is a REQUIREMENT to be ruthless. You have to fight your way, no one will do this for you.
That said, the argument of "but I won't get as many customers" comes from a delusional mindset that the artist doesn't need to support their hobby while it transitions to becoming a full time job. They want instant gratification without any effort on their part. So when they do try to raise their prices and no one bites, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. "No one likes me or my work no one will buy it I'm just a poor poor artist who can't do anything to change my situation."
Granted this is general life advice for any career track, no matter your position. You can't just sit around squandering your time and expect to magically get a raise. Grind the fuck out of your work and tell your boss about it. If it's a dead end, find a new job. Stop blaming other people for your lack of drive to improve your life.