Agency pricing calculator

The market clusters around a percentage of monthly ad spend that shrinks as spend grows: roughly 15–20% under $10k/month, 10–15% from $10k to $50k, and 8–10% above $50k. Most agencies also set a minimum monthly fee of $500–$1,000 so small accounts stay viable.

Percentage of spend scales with the work and aligns you with budget growth, but it punishes you on small accounts and can look like an incentive to overspend. Flat retainers are predictable for the client and protect you on low-spend accounts. Hybrid (a lower base fee plus a smaller percentage) is what many agencies land on, because it covers fixed costs while keeping upside. Use the calculator to compare all three at your spend level.

Most agencies refuse to go below $500–$1,000/month regardless of spend, because the fixed work of managing any account (reporting, calls, QA, strategy) doesn't shrink with the budget. If your effective hourly rate at the proposed fee is below your target, raise the floor or cut the hours with automation.

No. Keep media spend and management fees separate: the client pays platforms directly for media, and pays you for management. Bundling them blurs the line between your revenue and pass-through costs, complicates taxes, and makes margins hard to read.

Tie the increase to scope or results, give 60–90 days notice, and anchor it against the market range for their spend tier. If you've been under-charging at the bottom of the range, moving to the middle is usually accepted without drama, especially when reporting shows the results.