Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
Was this helpful?
Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
What to Charge Startup Clients for PR Services
PR specialists working with startups typically charge $2,500–$8,000 per month or $4,000–$15,000 for launch campaigns. Funding stage heavily influences budget expectations.
Floor
$2,500
per hour
Typical
$6,500
per hour
Premium
$15,000
per hour
Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
Was this helpful?
Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
What changes the price
- Startup funding stage and available PR budget
- Industry and newsworthiness of the startup's story
- Target media tier (tech, trade, consumer, national)
- Founder thought leadership ambitions
- Whether the startup has had any prior media coverage
- Speed to launch and timeline urgency
- In-house marketing team resources
Real quote breakdowns
Pre-Seed Startup Launch PR
A bootstrapped founder needs help crafting their story and securing 3–5 trade publication placements around launch.
Breakdown
Story development, press kit, trade media outreach to 30 contacts, 4-week follow-up, coverage report.
Seed-Stage Tech Startup Retainer
A startup with $1.5M raised retains a PR specialist for ongoing media relations and thought leadership.
Breakdown
20 hours/month, proactive media pitching, one thought leadership op-ed per month, founder profiling, monthly coverage report.
Series A Funding Announcement
A startup announcing a $10M Series A needs coordinated media for maximum national and trade coverage.
Breakdown
Embargo management, exclusive placement strategy, 5 pre-briefings, launch day press release, national and trade pitching, founder interview coordination, and coverage tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Should I offer startups a discounted rate?
A lean starter package at your standard rate is preferable to discounting. Alternatively, consider a short-term engagement at a reduced fee in exchange for a case study right or a success-based bonus if targets are met.
What PR does a startup actually need at launch?
At minimum: a compelling press release, a media list of 20–40 relevant journalists, personalised pitches, and a follow-up plan. Avoid over-engineering the campaign — focused outreach in the right publications beats scattershot coverage.
How do I work with a startup founder who wants to be the spokesperson?
Media train them before any interviews. Brief them on bridging techniques, key messages, and off-limits topics. Add media training as a billable service (typically $500–$1,500 per session).
How do I handle a startup that keeps pivoting its story mid-campaign?
Pivots are common in early-stage companies. Charge for significant story restarts as a change order. Build a 'story update' clause into your contract that caps the number of pivots covered within the retainer fee.