Rates, 2026
What should a paid media freelancer charge in a major city?
About $775 a day for a paid media freelancer who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $575 in the first years, $950 when senior.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$575
a day · $70 an hour
Working, booked
$775
a day · $95 an hour
Senior, sought after
$950
a day · $125 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$775 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$95 per hour
- Monthly retainer$4,475 per month
- Commission on ad spend managed13%
Sold a monthly retainer, a percentage, by the day. The month is the unit; one-off work is priced as a project.
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.
- Monthly ads management$2,125 to $6,800 per month
- Percentage of ad spend (over $20k a month)10 to 15% of spend
- Account audit$675 to $2,125 per audit
- Campaign setup and launch$1,275 to $3,400 per campaign
- Landing page and funnel build$1,700 to $5,100 per project
How the number is made
Paid media or growth freelancers at this level in this market day at about $775 ($600 to $1,200 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
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.
10 to 15% of ad spend managed is the norm. It only makes sense when the money is real: under about $3,000 a month in fees a flat retainer pays you better and the client can budget it.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a paid media freelancer in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $775 a day for someone working and booked, $575 in the first years, $950 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a paid media freelancer?
- Around $4,475 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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