Rates, 2026
What should a content marketer charge in a smaller market?
About $550 a day for a content marketer who is working and booked in a smaller US market. $425 in the first years, $700 when senior. A content program runs about $3,500.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · remote
First years
$425
a day · $55 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
- A content program$3,500 per project
- Monthly retainer$3,675 per month
Sold a monthly retainer, a project fee. The month is the unit; one-off work is priced as a project.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a smaller US market: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Content calendar$350 to $1,050 each
- SEO article$200 to $700 each
- Case study$550 to $1,750 each
- Monthly program$1,750 to $5,600 per month
How the number is made
Content marketers at this level in this market day at about $550 ($500 to $1,100 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A content program runs $2,000 to $8,000 and takes about 40 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $2,800. 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 content marketer in a smaller US market?
- About $550 a day for someone working and booked, $425 in the first years, $700 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a content program?
- $3,500 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 content marketer?
- Around $3,675 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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