Rates, 2026
What should an AI content specialist charge in a major city?
About $550 a day for a AI content specialist who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $400 in the first years, $700 when senior. An AI content set runs about $1,925. Also called: prompt engineer, midjourney, ai images.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$400
a day · $50 an hour
Working, booked
$550
a day · $70 an hour
Senior, sought after
$700
a day · $90 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$550 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$70 per hour
- An AI content set$1,925 per project
- Monthly retainer$2,775 per month
Sold a project fee, a monthly retainer, by the hour. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Prompt library$425 to $1,700 each
- AI-assisted content month$1,275 to $4,250 per month
- Image or video generation set$250 to $1,275 per set
- Training a team on AI tools$850 to $2,550 per session
How the number is made
AI content and prompt specialists at this level in this market day at about $550 ($400 to $900 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
An AI content set runs $500 to $4,000 and takes about 12 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $850. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: a set scope, paid up front on the 1st. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a AI content specialist in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $550 a day for someone working and booked, $400 in the first years, $700 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is an ai content set?
- $1,925 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a AI content specialist?
- Around $2,775 a month. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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