AI consultant hourly rates in 2026, from 256 published rate lines
We analysed every AI and machine-learning labour rate on federal GSA schedules and set it beside directory, marketplace and wage data. The middle of the US market sits between $149 and $241 an hour.
Contents
The problem with "it depends"
An hourly rate is the one price most AI consultants will discuss, and it is the hardest to judge. A buyer comparing a $95-an-hour development shop with a $500-an-hour independent expert is not comparing like with like, and without a benchmark there is no way to tell whether either is fair for the work proposed. Published rate data exists, but it is scattered across government schedules, directories and marketplaces, each measuring something different.
The federal benchmark: GSA ceiling rates
The most transparent rate data for AI labour in the US is the General Services Administration's CALC+ database. It lists the maximum hourly rates that vendors on Multiple Award Schedule contracts may charge federal agencies, by labour category. These are ceiling rates, fully burdened, and vendors may discount below them; they are the closest thing to a public price list for AI specialists.
We retrieved every labour category matching "artificial intelligence", "machine learning" and "data scientist" on 8 November 2026 and calculated the distribution123.
| Slice of the data | Rate lines | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| All AI and machine-learning categories | 256 (84 vendors) | $187 | $149 to $241 |
| Minimum 0 to 4 years' experience | 100 | $159 | $126 to $202 |
| Minimum 5 to 9 years' experience | 107 | $194 | $158 to $244 |
| Minimum 10 to 14 years' experience | 41 | $215 | $174 to $273 |
| Minimum 15 years or more | 8 | $322 | $275 to $380 |
| Large vendors | 83 | $227 | $171 to $270 |
| Small businesses | 173 | $172 | $141 to $218 |
| Work at the vendor's site | 110 | $198 | $151 to $257 |
| Work at the customer's site | 123 | $178 | $142 to $225 |
| All data scientist categories | 1,565 (492 vendors) | $169 | $138 to $205 |
About 23% of the AI rate lines exceed $250 an hour and 13% fall below $125. The median scheduled increase from the current to the next contract year is 3.2%12. Two cautions apply: the data reflects firms that sell to the federal government, and a small number of lines, such as the eight requiring 15 years' experience, carry a lot of weight in their slice.
Commercial benchmarks
| Source | What it measures | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Clutch directory4 | Most common rate for AI development firms, all countries | $24 to $49 |
| Clutch directory4 | Typical rate, US and Canadian firms | $50 to $99 |
| A.Team5 | Senior AI engineer, US contractor | $130 to $200 (midpoint $165) |
| A.Team5 | Data scientist or ML specialist, US | $150 to $250 |
| A.Team5 | AI architect, US | $200 to $240 or more |
| A.Team5 | Senior AI engineer, Eastern Europe / Latin America | $80 to $140 / $65 to $125 |
| Team 400 market table6 | Independent / mid-tier / Big Four, Australia | A$200 to A$350 / A$300 to A$450 / A$350 to A$600 |
| Ryan Doser rate card7 | Independent AI consultant, one problem per session | $500 |
The commercial figures bracket the federal ones. Directory averages for development firms sit well below them because they are dominated by offshore and generalist development. Senior US contractors on A.Team overlap the GSA middle band. Independent advisers who sell judgement rather than hours of engineering price above it.
Rates against salaries
Hiring is the alternative buyers usually weigh. The median US data scientist earned $57.80 an hour in May 2025, and the median management analyst, the federal category that includes management consultants, $48.9789. Wages make up 70% of private employers' compensation costs, with benefits the other 30%10, so the fully loaded cost of that data scientist is about $83 an hour before recruiting, management and idle time. A consulting rate of $187 is therefore roughly 2.3 times the loaded cost of an employee, which is what a buyer pays for availability on demand, a team behind the individual and no long-term commitment.
Judging the rate in a proposal
- Match the rate to the role. A senior engineer at $200 to $250 is within the published bands; a junior analyst at that rate is not.
- Ask where the work is done. Vendor-site work carries a higher median than customer-site work on the GSA schedules.
- Check the firm-size premium. Large vendors' median AI rate is $55 above small businesses'. Decide whether the brand is worth it for the task.
- Convert hours into a total. A rate means little without the number of hours; ask for the estimate and a cap.
- Price the year, not the hour. Add the running cost after go-live, which the project and retainer guide covers.
A buyer who has done this can say, for each role in a proposal, where its rate falls in the published distribution, and why. Rates are one way to buy AI work. OpenLazarus, for example, sells ongoing engineering as a monthly allowance, from $4,500 a month for 10 engineering credits, rather than by the hour11. The main guide compares every pricing model side by side.
Questions buyers ask
What is the average hourly rate for an AI consultant in the US?
On federal GSA schedules, the median ceiling rate across 256 AI and machine-learning labour categories is $187 an hour, and the middle half runs from $149 to $241. Commercial rates for senior specialists and independent experts can be higher; offshore development firms are far lower.
How much more do senior AI consultants charge?
On GSA schedules, AI rate lines requiring 0 to 4 years of experience have a median of $159 an hour, 5 to 9 years $194, 10 to 14 years $215, and the eight lines requiring 15 years or more $322.
Are offshore AI developers cheaper?
Yes. Clutch reports that most AI development firms on its directory charge $24 to $49 an hour, with firms in India, the Philippines and Ukraine in that band, while US, Canadian, Polish, Spanish and Mexican firms typically charge $50 to $99. A.Team reports senior AI engineers in Latin America at $65 to $125 against $130 to $200 in the US.
Sources
- CALC+ ceiling rates: labor categories matching “artificial intelligence” (MAS contracts). U.S. General Services Administration. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- CALC+ ceiling rates: labor categories matching “machine learning” (MAS contracts). U.S. General Services Administration. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- CALC+ ceiling rates: labor categories matching “data scientist” (MAS contracts). U.S. General Services Administration. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI pricing guide. Clutch, 21 Sep 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI engineer rates. A.Team, 3 Jun 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI consulting cost in Australia. Team 400, 3 Apr 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- How much does an AI consultant cost in 2026? (My rates included). Ryan Doser, 4 Sep 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data scientists. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management analysts. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Employer costs for employee compensation, June 2026. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9 Sep 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Pricing. OpenLazarus. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
Updated 8 Nov 2026: First published with GSA CALC+ data retrieved on 8 November 2026.