Rates, 2026
What should an audio engineer charge in 2026, working remote?
About $625 a day for a audio engineer who is working and booked in remote work for US clients. $450 in the first years, $825 when senior. A song, mixed runs about $800. Also called: mix engineer, mastering.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · a smaller market
First years
$450
a day · $55 an hour
Working, booked
$625
a day · $80 an hour
Senior, sought after
$825
a day · $100 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$625 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$80 per hour
- A song, mixed$800 per project
Sold a project fee, by the day, 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 remote work for US clients: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Mix$275 to $1,075 per song
- Master$70 to $275 per song
- Podcast episode mix$90 to $350 per episode
- Stems or instrumental version$90 to $275 per song
- Vocal tuning$70 to $225 per song
How the number is made
Audio engineers at this level in this market day at about $625 ($400 to $1,000 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A song, mixed runs $300 to $1,500 and takes about 8 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $650. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a audio engineer in remote work for US clients?
- About $625 a day for someone working and booked, $450 in the first years, $825 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a song, mixed?
- $800 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.
- 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.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.