Rates, 2026
What should a cybersecurity consultant charge in New York or LA?
About $1,850 a day for a cybersecurity consultant who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $1,400 in the first years, $2,300 when senior. A security assessment runs about $12,000. Also called: pen test, compliance, soc 2.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$1,400
a day · $175 an hour
Working, booked
$1,850
a day · $225 an hour
Senior, sought after
$2,300
a day · $300 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,850 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$225 per hour
- A security assessment$12,000 per project
- Monthly retainer$9,600 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 New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Penetration test$5,000 to $25,000 each
- SOC 2 or compliance prep$4,000 to $15,000 each
- Incident response$200 to $400 per hour
- Security training session$1,000 to $3,000 each
How the number is made
Cybersecurity consultants at this level day at about $1,850 ($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 $9,000. 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 New York or LA?
- About $1,850 a day for someone working and booked, $1,400 in the first years, $2,300 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a security assessment?
- $12,000 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 $9,600 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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