Rates, 2026
What should a Shopify developer charge in 2026, working remote?
About $900 a day for a Shopify developer who is working and booked in remote work for US clients. $650 in the first years, $1,150 when senior. A store build runs about $8,100.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · a smaller market
First years
$650
a day · $80 an hour
Working, booked
$900
a day · $125 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,150
a day · $150 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$900 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$125 per hour
- A store build$8,100 per project
- Monthly retainer$6,475 per month
Sold a project fee, by the day, a monthly retainer. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for remote work for US clients: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Theme customization$725 to $2,700 each
- App or integration$450 to $1,800 each
- Full store$3,600 to $13,500 each
- Speed or SEO fix$450 to $1,350 each
How the number is made
Shopifys at this level in this market day at about $900 ($600 to $1,400 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A store build runs $3,000 to $15,000 and takes about 60 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $7,500. 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 Shopify developer in remote work for US clients?
- About $900 a day for someone working and booked, $650 in the first years, $1,150 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a store build?
- $8,100 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 Shopify developer?
- Around $6,475 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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