H1 2026 Contractor Bill Rate Report
Median hourly bill rates from 195+ contract hires across Marketing, Brand Creative, Product + Design, and Project Management.
H1
Jan - Jun 2026
5
Functions
195+
Contractor placements
OVERVIEW
This report illustrates the median bill rate data from 195+ contract roles filled in the first half of 2026 across brand creative, marketing, product + design, and project management.
Bill rates are all-inclusive of the contractor’s compensation plus all associated fees. Those fees include mandated taxes, insurance, benefits, paid time off, HR services, and our agency fee.
AT A GLANCE
Brand Creative
$128/hr
$70 – $313/hr
100 placements
Bill Rate
Marketing
$109/hr
$70 – $150/hr
40 placements
Bill Rate
Product + Design
$145/hr
$120 – $250/hr
35 placements
Bill Rate
Project Management + Ops (PMO)
$90/hr
$68 – $150/hr
20 placements
Bill Rate
Brand Creative
100 placements
Design
$125/hr
$70 – $175/hr
Bill Rate
Copywriting
$125/hr
$70 – $175/hr
Bill Rate
Creative Direction
$150/hr
$125 – $175/hr
Bill Rate
Motion / Video
$130/hr
$105 – $150/hr
Bill Rate
Design
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Production Designer, Digital Asset Manager | $80/hr | $70 – $90/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Designer, Growth Designer, Brand Designer | $125/hr | $100 – $140/hr |
| Principal + | Principal Designer, Principal Creative Strategist | $150/hr | $140 – $175/hr |
Copywriting
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Copywriter | $80/hr | $70 – $90/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Copywriter, Growth Copywriter, Brand Copywriter | $125/hr | $100 – $140/hr |
| Principal + | Principal Content Strategist | $150/hr | $140 – $175/hr |
Motion / Video
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Video Editor, Video/Motion Designer, Motion Designer, Animator, 3D Graphic Artist | $130/hr | $105 – $150/hr |
Creative Direction
| undefined | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Director | - | $140/hr | $125 - $165/hr |
| Associate Creative Director | - | $160/hr | $140 - $175/hr |
Marketing
40 placements
Brand / Content
$90/hr
$70 – $150/hr
Bill Rate
Social / Influencer / Community
$128/hr
$70 – $150/hr
Bill Rate
Growth / Performance
$90/hr
$75 – $120/hr
Bill Rate
Strategy / Insights
$174/hr
$135 – $175/hr
Bill Rate
Email / CRM / Lifecycle
$90/hr
$75 – $120/hr
Bill Rate
Integrated Marketing
$130/hr
$100 – $150/hr
Bill Rate
Brand / Content
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Marketing Coordinator, Content Coordinator, Web Associate | $75/hr | $70 - $80/hr |
| Mid / Senior | SEO Manager, Content Marketing Manager, Brand Marketing Manager | $95/hr | $85 – $110/hr |
| Principal + | Content Marketing Lead, Content Strategist, Brand Strategist | $130/hr | $100 - $150/hr |
Social / Influencer / Community
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Community Manager, Social Media Associate, Partnerships Associate | $75/hr | $70 – $80/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Social Media Manager, Content Creator, Influencer Manager | $90/hr | $80 - $100/hr |
| Principal + | Social Strategist, Content Strategist, Influencer + Partnerships Strategist | $125/hr | $100 - $150/hr |
Growth / Performance
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Media Associate, Ads Manager, Growth + Performance Associate | $80/hr | $75 – $85/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Paid Media Manager, Performance Marketing Manager, Growth Manager | $90/hr | $85 – $100/hr |
| Principal + | Paid Media Strategist, Performance Strategist, Growth Strategist | $110/hr | $100 - $120/hr |
Email / CRM / Lifecycle
| undefined | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Lifecycle Marketing Associate, CRM Associate, Email Associate | $80/hr | $75 - $85/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Lifecycle Marketing Manager, CRM Manager, Email Manager | $90/hr | $85 - $100/hr |
| Principal + | Lifecycle Marketing Strategist | $110/hr | $100 - $120/hr |
Integrated Marketing
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Marketing Manager | $115/hr | $100 - $130/hr |
| Principal + | Marketing Strategist | $130/hr | $120 – $150/hr |
Product + Design
35 placements
Mid / Senior
$130/hr
$120 – $140/hr
Bill Rate
Manager / Lead
$145/hr
$130 – $175/hr
Bill Rate
Director / Principal
$200/hr
$160 – $250/hr
Bill Rate
Product + Design Levels
| undefined | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Product Designer, Sr. Product Designer, Sr. UI Designer, Sr. Design Systems, Product Manager | $130/hr | $120 – $140/hr |
| Lead / Principal | Lead Product Designer, Design Lead, Principal Product Designer, Product Management Lead | $145/hr | $130 – $175/hr |
| Director | Associate Design Director, Design Director | $200/hr | $160 – $250/hr |
Project Management + Operations (PMO)
20 placements
Junior
$75/hr
$68 – $80/hr
Bill Rate
Mid / Senior
$90/hr
$80 – $100/hr
Bill Rate
Principal / Lead
$130/hr
$100 – $150/hr
Bill Rate
Project Management + Operations Levels
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Junior Producer, Creative Operations Coordinator, Production Coordinator | $75/hr | $68 – $80/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Creative Project Manager, Senior Producer, Marketing Operations Manager | $90/hr | $80 - $100/hr |
| Principal / Lead | Production Lead, Creative Operations Lead, Marketing Ops Lead | $130/hr | $100 – $150/hr |
📢 Trends We’re Seeing
Across all functions:
Contract-to-hire is increasingly common. Companies are using contracts as an extended audition before committing to a FTE offer.
As more companies mandate in-office work, contractors have become a valuable interim solution providing flexible, often remote support while teams navigate longer-term hiring needs.
As marketing channels become more crowded, companies need strategists who can bridge creativity and performance turning data into smarter brand, content, and creative decisions.
Specialization commands a premium. Niche skillsets (AI-integrated design, fintech/regulated industry experience) are driving higher rates vs. generalist creative roles.
Project-based engagements have defined end dates. Most roles have clear timelines, so hiring managers should plan extensions early to avoid gaps.
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Data reflects hourly bill rates from 195+ contractor placements made in H1 2026 (January–June). Rates are hourly; full-time salary compensation not included. Questions? info@creativepeopleinc.com