# What AI consultants charge in the UK in 2026: the real numbers Source: https://getstartedwithai.net/tutorials/ai-consultant-rates-uk-2026 Site: Get Started With AI Tagline: Build AI automations that actually run your business. Audience: solo professionals, freelancers, consultants and AI implementers in training Contact: hello@getstartedwithai.co.uk This Markdown companion is generated from the prerendered page for AI crawlers. # What AI consultants charge in the UK in 2026: the real numbers £8,000 to £15,000 a month gross is the median for an independent UK practitioner with a working portfolio in 2026. Day rates run £600 to £1,800. Year-one practitioners typically clear £4,000 to £8,000 a month while building case studies. These numbers are drawn from 50 reference engagements observed during 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, not from aspirational forum threads. This guide breaks down the rate bands by engagement type, with the move that protects margin once the rate is set. ## Hourly rates - Junior solo: £80 to £100 an hour. First 5 paid clients. - Mid solo: £100 to £150 an hour. Clients 5 to 25 with portfolio. - Senior solo: £150 to £200 an hour. Niche specialist with case studies. - Day rate equivalent: £500 to £1,200 in London, £400 to £900 regional. ## Project rates - AI audit: £1,500 to £4,000. 90-minute audit, 60-minute report-back. - First build: £3,500 to £9,000. One automation, end to end, in 3 weeks. - Implementation sprint: £12,000 to £35,000. 6 to 8 weeks, 3 to 5 builds. - Custom integration: £8,000 to £25,000. Salesforce, Xero or HubSpot wiring. - Sector-specific build: £4,000 to £15,000. HR, sales or customer service builds. ## Retainer rates - Light advisory: £2,000 to £5,000 a month. 4 to 8 hours. - Standard support: £5,000 to £15,000 a month. 8 to 16 hours plus monitoring. - Full partnership: £15,000 to £50,000 a month. 2+ days a week embedded. - Most solos settle at £4,000 to £8,000 monthly retainers across 3 to 5 clients. ## Fractional AI officer - 1 day a week: £8,000 to £12,000 a month. - 2 days a week: £12,000 to £18,000 a month. - 3 days a week: £18,000 to £25,000 a month. - Term: 6 to 12 months initial, with a 3-month break clause for both sides. ## Step 1: Anchor on the median, not the ceiling Most practitioners overrate the ceiling and underprice the median. The median is what the market actually pays. 1. For year-one practitioners: £100 an hour, £4,000 packaged builds, £4,000 monthly retainers. 2. For year-two practitioners: £150 an hour, £6,500 packaged builds, £6,000 monthly retainers. 3. For year-three plus with niche specialism: £180 an hour, £8,500 packaged builds, £8,000 monthly retainers. 4. Raise the floor every 5 paid clients in year one, then once per quarter. ## Step 2: Apply the moves that protect margin Margin is protected by presentation as much as by headline rate. Five moves cover most of the lift. 1. Stop billing hourly on builds. Quote a project price, deliver under budget, keep the margin. 2. Bill 50 percent on signing and 50 percent on delivery. 3. Add a 30-day check-in to every project. Retainer conversion rate doubles. 4. Show ranges, not single numbers, in proposals. 5. Always include the next-step price in the proposal. ## What clients pay for at each band - £1,500 audit: a single conversation and a one-page report. - £4,500 first build: one working automation with a 30-day check-in. - £12,000 sprint: 3 builds across 6 weeks with handover and training. - £6,000 monthly retainer: ongoing maintenance, monthly new build, training. - £15,000 fractional: 2 days a week embedded, AI strategy plus build delivery. ## Common pricing mistakes - Underpricing the first project to win the deal. The price you set on day one is the floor for everything that follows. - Skipping the 30-day check-in. Without it, retainer conversion drops by half. - Quoting on a discovery call. Send the price in writing within 48 hours. - Refusing to walk from a deal. The clients who beat you down to 60 percent are the ones who churn at month 4. ## What you ship A rate card that matches the April 2026 market, a written proposal template, a 50/50 billing rule and a 30-day check-in baked into every project. The numbers add up to roughly £170,000 a year at 24 billable hours a week. ## What to build next Pair the rate card with the pricing tutorial and the 12-week path. The pricing tutorial covers the moves that protect margin once the rate is set. ## Related builds More tutorials in Become an Implementer. Each one runs in 60 to 90 minutes and ships a finished asset. ### Land your first paid AI engagement in 90 days: the 2026 consultant playbook 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/how-to-become-an-ai-consultant-2026) ### Ship five repeatable client engagements: the AI automation agency playbook 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/ai-automation-agency-practitioner-playbook) ### Win client work with a free first call: the AI readiness assessment template 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/ai-readiness-assessment-free-template) ### Set rates that pay back in week one: pricing AI implementation work 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/pricing-ai-implementation-work) ## Questions people ask before they start ### How much do AI consultants make in the UK? Median for an independent practitioner with a portfolio is £8,000 to £15,000 a month gross before tax, with a long tail above for senior practitioners in specialised verticals. Year-one practitioners under 12 months in independent practice clear £4,000 to £8,000 a month while building case studies. ### How much does an AI consultant cost? For a small business buyer, expect £1,500 to £4,000 for a one-off audit, £3,500 to £9,000 for a single first build, £12,000 to £35,000 for a 6 to 8 week implementation sprint, and £4,000 to £15,000 a month for an ongoing retainer. Higher numbers reflect specialised verticals such as legal, healthcare and regulated finance. ### Are AI consultants worth the money? For businesses with at least 3 hours a week of repeatable manual work and budget to commit to one engagement, the maths typically works inside 3 months. Outside those conditions, a low-cost packaged tool or a starter kit is a better starting point than a paid engagement. ### What is the highest realistic rate? For solo independents, £200 an hour or £25,000 a month for a 3-day fractional role caps the realistic ceiling. Above that, the market expects an agency with multiple seniors, not a solo practitioner. ### Do rates differ by sector? Yes. Legal, healthcare and regulated finance run roughly 30 percent above general SMB rates. Charity and education work runs roughly 20 percent below. Pick the sector after the rate band, not before.