Rates, 2026
What should an SEO specialist charge in a major city?
About $775 a day for a SEO specialist who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $575 in the first years, $950 when senior. An SEO audit and plan runs about $3,200.
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
- An SEO audit and plan$3,200 per project
- Monthly retainerthe plan worked every month, ranked pages reported$3,200 per month
Sold a monthly retainer, a project fee, 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.
- Technical audit$850 to $2,975 each
- Keyword strategy$675 to $2,125 each
- Optimized page$125 to $350 per page
- Link building$850 to $3,400 per month
- Local SEO setup$675 to $2,125 each
How the number is made
SEO specialists 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.
An SEO audit and plan runs $1,500 to $6,000 and takes about 25 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $2,375. 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: the plan worked every month, ranked pages reported. 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 SEO specialist 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.
- How much is an seo audit and plan?
- $3,200 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 SEO specialist?
- Around $3,200 a month: the plan worked every month, ranked pages reported. 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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