How Much Should You Charge for a Retainer? A Freelancer's Guide

Pricing a retainer trips up a lot of freelancers because it feels different from quoting a project. But the underlying math is simple, and once you have a repeatable method you can price any retainer in about two minutes.

The base formula

A monthly retainer is, at its core, your hourly rate × the hours you reserve for that client each month. If you charge $90/hour and you're setting aside 15 hours a month, your starting retainer is $1,350/month. That's the number to anchor on — then you adjust up or down based on the factors below.

If you want to skip the arithmetic, the free retainer calculator does it instantly and shows what it adds up to across multiple clients.

When to add a premium

Reserved capacity has real value, so a premium of 10–20% on top of the base is common and fair when:

• The client expects priority or fast turnaround — you're holding space for them.
• Your calendar is already full, so every retainer hour displaces other paid work.
• The work is high-stakes (revenue-critical, deadline-driven, or specialized).

When a discount makes sense

A modest discount (5–15%) can be worth it because a retainer removes the cost and stress of constantly finding new work. Consider it when the guaranteed, predictable income is worth more to you than squeezing the maximum rate — for example, when you're smoothing out a feast-or-famine income or locking in an anchor client.

Mistakes that quietly cost you money

• Pricing on deliverables you can't predict. Reserve hours or a defined scope, not “unlimited” anything.
• Not capping the scope. Spell out what's included and what rolls into a separate project so “quick favors” don't eat your margin.
• Forgetting to raise it. Build in an annual review. A retainer that never moves loses value every year to your own rising skill and inflation.
• Chasing payment manually. The fastest way to resent a retainer client is invoicing and reminding them every month. Automate it.

Put a number on it

Start with rate × reserved hours, nudge for premium or discount, write down the scope, and set a review date. That's a defensible retainer price you can say out loud with confidence.