What businesses actually pay to hire AI talent, based on rates published by manually vetted experts on AI Expert Network.
Across 34 vetted AI experts who publish a rate, the median is $135 per hour. Most fall between $100 and $170, and senior specialists reach $250+. Rates vary by specialty.
| Specialty | Typical low (p25) | Median | Typical high (p75) | Experts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude & MCP Development | $120 | $150 | $175 | 8 |
| AI Agent Development | $150 | $150 | $180 | 10 |
| AI Consulting & Strategy | $110 | $150 | $170 | 10 |
| Generative AI & LLMs | $100 | $135 | $155 | 12 |
| Machine Learning | $100 | $125 | $150 | 9 |
| AI Automation | $100 | $125 | $155 | 24 |
Based on self-reported hourly rates from manually vetted, approved experts on AI Expert Network. Percentiles are computed across all approved profiles that publish a rate. Skill breakouts are shown only where at least 5 experts report a rate. Rates are rounded to the nearest 5 dollars.