What AI consultants charge

Published ranges differ by whether you are hiring a freelancer, looking at an employed salary, or hiring a firm. The numbers below are copied from pages read on November 13, 2026. They are not quotes from Find AI Pros, and they are not a price for your project. Glassdoor and Indeed did not load, so those sites are not included.

Hourly

• Upwork's AI consultants hiring page (page titled for November 2026) says hiring an AI consultant on Upwork generally ranges from $35 to $60 per hour, similar to AI engineers, and that the most experienced consultants charge $100 per hour or more.
• ZipRecruiter's AI Consultant salary page says that as of November 13, 2026 the average annual pay in the United States is $86,430, about $41.55 an hour. It also says the majority of salaries range from $61,000 a year (25th percentile) to $103,000 (75th percentile). That is an employed-role estimate, not a freelance invoice rate.
• Clutch's AI consulting directory (ratings updated November 11, 2026) lists firm-level rates rather than one market range. Two profiles on the first screen: Azumo in San Francisco lists a $25 to $49 average hourly rate and a $10,000+ minimum project size. ISBX Corp in Los Angeles lists a $150 to $199 average hourly rate and a $25,000+ minimum project size.

Per project

The same Upwork page publishes these project bands. They are Upwork's categories, not Find AI Pros packages.

A strategy engagement lines up with Upwork's "AI strategy and roadmap" row. A small build lines up more closely with the readiness audit or the proof-of-concept row, depending on whether you want a written plan or a working prototype. This page does not add a separate price for a chatbot or a voice receptionist, because none of the pages read on November 13, 2026 published one.

Find AI Pros Concierge Match is $49.99 one time for introductions. That fee is not the consultant's project price. See the match page.