Rates, 2026
What should a cybersecurity consultant charge in a major city?
About $1,575 a day for a cybersecurity consultant who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $1,175 in the first years, $1,950 when senior. A security assessment runs about $10,200. Also called: pen test, compliance, soc 2.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$1,175
a day · $150 an hour
Working, booked
$1,575
a day · $200 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,950
a day · $250 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,575 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$200 per hour
- A security assessment$10,200 per project
- Monthly retainer$8,150 per month
Sold by the day, a project fee, a monthly retainer. The day is the unit; half days run 60%.
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.
- Penetration test$4,250 to $21,250 each
- SOC 2 or compliance prep$3,400 to $12,750 each
- Incident response$175 to $350 per hour
- Security training session$850 to $2,550 each
How the number is made
Cybersecurity consultants at this level in this market day at about $1,575 ($1,200 to $2,500 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A security assessment runs $4,000 to $20,000 and takes about 40 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $8,000. 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 cybersecurity consultant in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $1,575 a day for someone working and booked, $1,175 in the first years, $1,950 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a security assessment?
- $10,200 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 cybersecurity consultant?
- Around $8,150 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.
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