How Much Should You Charge as a Facilitator?

Quick Overview

The estimated day rate for a facilitator in 2024 ranges from $2,500 to $5,000, but for a highly experienced 'Strategic Partner' facilitator with top-tier credentials and specialization in product/innovation, the rate can exceed $10,000 to $15,000+ per day, with high-value engagements like executive alignment potentially reaching $40,000–$75,000+.

Key Points: The estimated day rate for a facilitator in 2024, based on the quiz inputs, is between $2,500–$5,000/day for the 'Working Facilitator' profile. For a more experienced profile ('Strategic Partner' with top-tier standing), the estimated day rate jumps significantly to $10,000–$15,000+ per day. Specific engagement types for the high-tier profile show high potential: Executive alignment/transformation is quoted between $40,000–$75,000+. The quiz utilizes 16 weighted factors, including specialization (Product & Innovation was selected) and experience (less than 2 years), to generate personalized rates. A key opportunity identified for the 'Emerging Facilitator' profile is handling larger groups (40+ people), which unlocks higher-tier engagements that most facilitators avoid. The video host emphasizes that facilitators should focus 90% of their time on working on their business (marketing, skill development) and only 10% on client work to increase rates.

Context: The video features Jonathan Courtney, CEO of AJ&Smart and facilitator.com, demonstrating the use of the facilitator.com day rate calculator tool. The tool takes 16 inputs regarding the facilitator's experience, location, specialization, client history, and work style to provide a personalized, data-backed estimated day rate, comparing the user's profile against industry benchmarks from over 35,000 facilitator profiles.

Detailed Analysis

The video demonstrates how to use the facilitator.com day rate calculator by inputting profile details to generate an estimated rate. The speaker first runs the quiz as an 'Emerging Facilitator' (less than 2 years experience, non-corporate background, product/innovation focus, mostly virtual, no client logos), resulting in an estimated rate of $2,500–$5,000 per day, with the industry median being approximately $3,200/day. The analysis highlights 'Groups' as the biggest opportunity for growth in this profile. The speaker then demonstrates a 'fast-forwarded' run through the quiz, selecting inputs that reflect a more senior profile: mid-level/high corporate position, consulting experience, already a facilitator, experience in product/innovation workshops, and working with major metro hubs. This second profile, labeled 'The Strategic Partner', yields a much higher estimated day rate of $10,000–$15,000+ per day, placing the user 'Top tier, well above industry benchmarks' with an annual potential of $300k–$500k+. The host concludes by emphasizing that facilitators should spend 90% of their time working on their business (marketing, content creation) and only 10% on client work to achieve higher rates.