Rates, 2026
What should a web developer charge in a smaller market?
About $800 a day for a web developer who is working and booked in a smaller US market. $575 in the first years, $1,025 when senior. A website build runs about $8,050. Also called: front-end, javascript, react, next.js.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · remote
First years
$575
a day · $70 an hour
Working, booked
$800
a day · $100 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,025
a day · $125 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$800 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$100 per hour
- A website build$8,050 per project
- Monthly retainera block of days a month, bugs, features, the site watched$6,450 per month
Sold a project fee, by the day, a monthly retainer, by the hour. 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 a smaller US market: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Landing page, built$1,050 to $3,500 each
- WordPress site$2,100 to $7,000 each
- Custom web app$7,000 to $35,000 each
- Bug fix or small change$100 to $350 each
- Monthly maintenance$200 to $1,050 per month
How the number is made
Web developers at this level in this market day at about $800 ($700 to $1,600 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A website build runs $3,000 to $20,000 and takes about 80 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 block of days a month, bugs, features, the site watched. 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 web developer in a smaller US market?
- About $800 a day for someone working and booked, $575 in the first years, $1,025 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a website build?
- $8,050 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 web developer?
- Around $6,450 a month: a block of days a month, bugs, features, the site watched. 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.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
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