Contractor bill rates by role
The recorded rate-card medians are $34/hr for helpers and $76/hr for journeymen; the separate company-rate median is $79/hr. Entries mix wages, loaded costs and selling prices. Neither the roughly double ratio nor a low company value proves pricing upside.
Interpretation reviewed . This review does not change the original observation periods.
Median rate-card rate by role
Median rate-card rate across 18,000+ tracked field employees. The rate-card field is entered inconsistently across companies (some use it for customer billing rate, others for loaded cost or base wage). Match the field definition before comparing either the dollar level or the spread between roles.
| Role | Median rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Helper | $34/hr | Recorded role median; wage spread not measured |
| Apprentice | $39/hr | Recorded role median; field meaning must match |
| Technician (general) | $54/hr | Recorded role median; revenue and cost not separated |
| Journeyman | $76/hr | Recorded role median; loaded-wage spread not measured |
| Mechanic | $75/hr | Recorded role median; overtime premium not established |
Company-level average bill rate
A separate rate distribution across 1,770 companies. The underlying rate-card field mixes customer billing rates, loaded costs and wages. A low value can reflect its definition rather than a less profitable business. These are positioning references, not proof of a commercial-only billing premium.
| Percentile | Avg bill rate |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $39/hr |
| 25th percentile | $55/hr |
| Median | $79/hr |
| 75th percentile | $116/hr |
| Top 10% | $148/hr |
Source: The Level Index, 18,000+ employees and 1,770 companies. Aggregated and anonymized. Also in the machine-readable JSON. For state-level rates, see the market-size tool.
Test the rate before changing the crew
Trace one role's rate-card entry to its source: base wage, loaded cost or customer price. Then join invoices and credited labor revenue to billed hours for the same jobs and cutoff. Separately divide payroll, taxes, benefits and paid nonproductive time by supported productive hours. Compare matched work and check callbacks and overtime before changing crew mix. A promotion can add capacity and cost at the same time; the mixed rate-card ratio cannot tell you which effect wins.
Frequently asked questions
What should a contractor bill per hour by role?
Use these as recorded field observations, not as billing targets or a verified role ladder. Median rate-card rates across 18,000+ tracked contractor employees are: helper $34/hr, apprentice $39/hr, technician $54/hr, journeyman $76/hr, mechanic $75/hr. The rate-card field is entered inconsistently across companies (some record customer billing rate, others loaded cost or base wage), so neither the absolute level nor the spread establishes comparable selling prices, wages or profitability. For a separate mixed-definition company-rate reference, inspect the separate company-level average rate distribution: median $79/hr, top quartile $116/hr, top decile $148/hr (n=1,770).
How do I know if I'm undercharging?
The company-rate reference has P25 of $55/hr, median $79/hr, P75 $116/hr and P90 $148/hr across 1,770 companies. The field mixes billing rates, loaded costs and wages, so a low value alone does not prove undercharging or a particular work mix. Rebuild your own labor revenue per billed hour and fully loaded cost per productive hour using comparable definitions before changing prices.
How much more does a journeyman bill than a helper?
Recorded medians are $76/hr for journeymen and $34/hr for helpers; apprentice is $39/hr. The roughly double ratio combines mixed field definitions and does not measure a billing premium. Before changing staffing, compare actual labor revenue and supported loaded cost for matched work, hours and role definitions.
Am I charging enough? What does the middle of the market bill?
The company-level average bill rate median is $79/hr, with the 25th percentile at $55/hr, the 75th at $116/hr, and the top decile at $148/hr (n=1,770). Those references mix different uses of the underlying rate field. They do not identify a commercial-only billing distribution or establish your pricing upside. Compare an actual billed labor-revenue-per-hour measure with supported labor cost and your own job mix.
How are these bill rates measured?
Rates by role come from the rate-card field across 18,000+ tracked field employees in Level's contractor benchmark research; company-level average bill rate is a separate distribution across 1,770 companies. All figures are aggregated and anonymized. The rate-card field is entered inconsistently across companies, so neither the absolute level nor the relative spread establishes a like-for-like rate comparison.
Operating review
Questions before changing the rate card
The margin, cash, and operating questions we check first when reviewing your numbers.
Are the rates you compare on the same service and labor basis?
A market reference can use a different work type, geography, minimum charge or cost definition.
Does your role mix explain the blended rate?
A single average can conceal differences between apprentice, journey-level and crew-priced work.
Does the quoted rate become the collected rate?
Discounts, unbilled time and collection differences can separate the rate card from realized revenue.
Analysis by Sam Yang, Founder, Level. Compiled from Level's proprietary contractor benchmark research.
Source: The Level Index, Contractor Bill Rate Benchmarks, 18,000+ tracked employees, 1,770 companies. US contractors. Data vintage 2022 to 2026, last updated Q3 2026. Aggregated and anonymized.
Suggested citation: "The Level Index, Contractor Bill Rate Benchmarks, Level (levelcfo.com), 2026." Method: see the benchmark methodology.
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