Freelance CTO Hourly Rates
Median hourly rate
$250/hr
Typical range
$146–$265
25th–75th percentile
Submissions
82
Latest record: July 2025
Highest country median
—
Hourly rates by country
| Location | Median / hr | Middle 50% | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| United KingdomSmall sample | $265 | $250–$340 | 24 |
| United StatesSmall sample | $250 | $250–$300 | 22 |
| BelgiumSmall sample | $105 | $103–$109 | 11 |
| AustraliaSmall sample | $193 | $100–$193 | 7 |
Hourly rates by experience
| Experience | Median / hr | Middle 50% | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–10 yearsSmall sample | $150 | $109–$200 | 15 |
| 11–15 yearsSmall sample | $250 | $180–$250 | 22 |
| 16+ years | $265 | $193–$340 | 41 |
USD per hour. Groups below 5 records are omitted; groups below 25 are marked as small samples. These are separate comparisons: country and experience figures must not be combined to infer a rate. The rate planner can look up the actual matching group.
What should you quote?
The median of $250/hr equals $2,000 for 8 billable hours. That conversion is not a separately observed day rate. Account for your non-billable time and costs before choosing a price.
Records added 2022–2025. Dates reflect when records entered the database, including imports; they do not establish when the work was performed. Methodology & limitations
Recent rate records
| Role / location | USD / hour |
|---|---|
| CTO · New York, NY, USA | $250 |
| CTO · Hong Kong | $275 |
| CTO · San Diego, CA, USA | $300 |
| CTO · San Francisco, CA, USA | $400 |
| CTO · Iowa City, IA, USA | $265 |
| CTO · Iowa City, IA, USA | $265 |
| CTO · London, UK | $65 |
| CTO · London, UK | $340 |
| CTO · London, UK | $340 |
| CTO · London, UK | $340 |
| CTO · Paris, France | $150 |
| CTO · Sydney NSW, Australia | $193 |
| CTO · London, UK | $340 |
| CTO · San Diego, CA, USA | $300 |
| CTO · London, UK | $250 |
| CTO · Munich, Germany | $180 |
| CTO · London, UK | $65 |
| CTO · Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines | $150 |
| CTO · San Francisco, CA, USA | $400 |
| CTO · Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines | $150 |
Similar roles
Freelance CTO rate distribution
Rate distribution
Rate by experience level
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Frequently asked questions
- How much do freelance CTOs charge per hour?
- Based on 82 crowdsourced submissions, freelance CTOs charge an average of $215 per hour, with the middle 50% of rates between $146 and $265. Latest record added July 2025.
- What do top-earning freelance CTOs make?
- The top 10% of CTO submissions report $340 per hour or more. These are self-reported hourly charges, not take-home pay or guaranteed earnings.
- Which skills are most commonly reported with CTO rates?
- The most common skills in CTO submissions are Azure, TypeScript, and Microsoft Azure. Submission frequency does not measure hiring demand or prove a skill causes a higher rate.
- Where does this CTO rate data come from?
- These are public, self-reported rate records. We do not independently verify earnings or count unique people. The dataset includes historical records; see our methodology for currency assumptions, sample thresholds, and date limitations.
Charged by the project instead? Browse project-based rates.