H1 2026 Contractor Bill Rate Report
Median hourly bill rates from real contractor placements — no surveys, no estimates.
H1
Jan - Jun 2026
4
Functions
172
Contractor placements
Brand Creative
85 placements
FOR CONTRACTORS
Design contractors at the IC level range from $75 to $180/hr — a $105 spread at the same level. Specialization drives the top end. If you're doing experiential, 3D, or motion work, you're not competing with production designers at $75. Know your niche and price it. Copywriters are sitting around $115–$120 median — similar to design but with less upside at senior levels.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Brand Creative is your highest-volume contractor function and your widest rate range. IC designers clock in at a $113 median — accessible. But Art Directors at Director level run $122–$165/hr, and senior strategists push $225. Budget by specialty, not just seniority. Production design is your most cost-effective creative resource.
Design
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Brand Designer, Production Designer, Growth Designer, Presentation Designer | $113/hr | $75 – $180/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Deck Designer, Digital Designer, Sr. Designer, Motion Designer | $116/hr | $90 – $150/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Visual Designer | $113/hr | $113/hr |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Sr. Designer | $150/hr | $150/hr |
| Director / Principal | Sr. Designer Active Trader, Senior Designer / Art Director | $168/hr | $131 – $206/hr |
Copywriting
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Copywriter, Growth Copywriter, Direct Response Copywriter, Web Copywriter | $120/hr | $87 – $131/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Copywriter, UX Content Lead, Sr. Copywriter Paid Media | $115/hr | $90 – $140/hr |
Art Direction
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director / Principal | Art Director, Art Director GTM, AD/Designer, ACD – Copy | $145/hr | $122 – $165/hr |
Motion / Video
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Video/Motion Designer, Motion Designer | $115/hr | $105 – $125/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Video Editor | $109/hr | $109/hr |
Creative Operations
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Creative Project Manager, Creative Operations Consultant | $120/hr | $108 – $132/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Digital Asset Manager | $79/hr | $65 – $93/hr |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Senior Integrated Producer | $125/hr | $125/hr |
Creative Strategy
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Strategist Corporate Editorial | $117/hr | $117/hr |
| Sr. Director / VP | VP Creative Director | $225/hr | $225/hr |
Marketing
38 placements
FOR CONTRACTORS
Strategy and insights contractors command the highest rates in Marketing — $174–$175/hr at Manager level. That's higher than most Director-level marketing roles. If your work involves consumer research, analytics, or business strategy, price yourself there, not in the generalist marketing bucket. Growth and paid media IC rates are lower ($68–$90), so channel specialization matters less than strategic output.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Marketing contractor rates vary more by specialty than seniority. A Manager-level strategist at $174/hr costs more than a Director-level brand hire at $100/hr. Get clear on what output you need before leveling the role. Social IC rates have a massive range ($75–$215) — exec-level social ghostwriting commands a premium most teams don't budget for.
Brand / Content
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Marketing Coordinator, Creative Strategist, SEO / AEO Specialist | $104/hr | $78 – $128/hr |
| Manager / Lead | B2B Content Marketing Lead, Integrated Marketing Manager, SEO Manager | $100/hr | $87 – $135/hr |
| Director / Principal | Brand Director | $100/hr | $100/hr |
Social / Influencer / Community
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Senior Influencer Manager, Content Creator, Exec Social | $128/hr | $75 – $215/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Social Media Manager | $90/hr | $90/hr |
| Director / Principal | Social Media Director | $135/hr | $135/hr |
Growth / Performance
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Paid Media Specialist, Performance Creative Strategist, Media Activations Planner | $79/hr | $68 – $125/hr |
| Manager / Lead | TV & Offline Channel Manager, Paid Media Manager, Lifecycle Marketing Manager | $90/hr | $75 – $116/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Media Strategy Director | $175/hr | $175/hr |
Strategy / Insights
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Strategist | $135/hr | $135/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Creative Business Lead, Consumer Insights & Economics Lead | $175/hr | $174 – $175/hr |
Email / CRM / Lifecycle
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | CRM Fundraising Specialist, CRM Operations Manager | $93/hr | $75 – $175/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Lifecycle Marketing Manager | $85/hr | $85/hr |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Lifecycle Marketing Manager | $125/hr | $125/hr |
Product Marketing (PMM)
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager / Lead | Product Marketing Manager | $143/hr | $135 – $150/hr |
Product Design & Management
33 placements
FOR CONTRACTORS
Senior Product Designers are the most placed contractor role we have — and rates are tighter than you'd think. The median for Mid/Senior is $135/hr, ranging $110–$180. If you're at the high end, it's because of company type (fintech, health tech, enterprise). Founding Designer roles command a premium — $262/hr — because of the scope and risk tolerance required. Know what you're worth to an early-stage company vs a scaled one.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Senior Product Designer is your most reliable contractor hire — high volume, consistent rates, fast to place. Budget $135/hr as your baseline for Mid/Senior. Design Directors run $160–$170/hr. Staff-level designers jump to $225/hr — reserve that for genuinely complex system work. Product Manager contractors are rare in this market; when you find one, move fast.
Senior Product Designer
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Product Designer, Senior UI Designer, Senior Creative Technologist, Senior Visual Designer | $135/hr | $110 – $180/hr |
| Individual Contributor | Senior Product Designer | $158/hr | $135 – $180/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Senior Product Designer, Senior Design Program Manager | $150/hr | $140 – $180/hr |
Lead / Staff Designer
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Lead Product Designer | $123/hr | $120 – $125/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Design Lead | $155/hr | $155/hr |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Staff Product Designer | $225/hr | $225/hr |
Design Director
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director / Principal | Associate Design Director, Design Director | $165/hr | $160 – $170/hr |
Product Designer
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Product Designer | $143/hr | $143/hr |
| Individual Contributor | Product Designer | $203/hr | $203/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Founding Product Designer | $263/hr | $263/hr |
Product Management
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Product Manager | $115/hr | $115/hr |
Project Management
16 placements
FOR CONTRACTORS
Project Management rates vary significantly by scope. Creative Operations coordinators at IC level are running $46–$71/hr — the lowest in our book. But senior creative operations managers can hit $120–$240/hr depending on complexity. If you're running enterprise-level production workflows, you're not a coordinator. Title yourself and price yourself accordingly.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Project Management is the most affordable contractor function we place. IC-level producers and coordinators run $70–$113/hr median. Manager/Lead level Creative Operations has wide variance ($80–$240) — scope definition is everything here. If you need someone to run a campaign versus manage an entire production org, those are very different rates.
Project Manager / Producer
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Growth Marketing Producer, Producer, Events Manager | $113/hr | $74 – $139/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Creative Project Manager | $90/hr | $90/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Project Manager, Creative Producer, Growth Marketing Producer | $110/hr | $90 – $135/hr |
Creative Operations
| LEVEL | EXAMPLE JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | Creative Operations Coordinator, Creative Project Manager, Content Operations Specialist | $70/hr | $46 – $71/hr |
| Mid / Senior | Integrated Producer | $120/hr | $120/hr |
| Manager / Lead | Creative Operations Project Manager, Marketing Strategic Operations Manager, Creative Operations Manager | $119/hr | $80 – $240/hr |
Key takeaways from H1 2026
On specialization
Rate is driven more by specialty than seniority. A Manager-level strategist ($174/hr) can out-earn a Director-level brand hire ($100/hr). Price by the output you deliver, not the title on the role.
On design
Senior Product Designer was the most-placed contractor role of H1. High volume and tight rates — $135/hr is the Mid/Senior baseline, while Staff and Founding work command $225–$263/hr.
On creative
Brand Creative is the highest-volume, widest-range function. IC designers sit at a $113/hr median, but specialization in 3D, motion, or experiential work pushes the top end past $180/hr.
On operations
Project Management is the most affordable function to staff. Scope drives huge variance — Creative Operations spans $46/hr coordinators to $240/hr enterprise leads. Define the mandate before you budget.
Data reflects hourly bill rates from 172 contractor placements made in H1 2026 (January–June). Rates are hourly; full-time salary compensation not included.