03/08/2026
Consultancy rates in Australia have shifted significantly over the past decade — and if you're buying or selling consulting services, it pays to understand why.
A decade ago, mid-tier consultants were billing $120–$180/hr. Today, experienced independents and senior strategists are comfortably sitting at $300–$450/hr. That's not inflation for its own sake. It reflects a market that's matured, grown more specialised, and placed a genuine premium on consultants who actually move the needle.
The forces behind this shift are real: the rise of deep vertical specialists, more experienced professionals moving into independent consulting, wage benchmarks rising across the board, and a pandemic that turbocharged demand for digital and transformation expertise.
What's also changed is *how* consultants price. Hourly billing is giving way to project and retainer models — better for clients who want budget certainty, better for consultants who shouldn't be penalised for getting faster at what they do.
If you're unsure whether what you're paying — or charging — still reflects the current market, we're happy to have that conversation. What's your experience been with consultancy pricing lately?
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