What does an HR consultant cost at your size?

Most Bay Area firms keep HR consulting rates private, so buyers walk into a first call with no idea what a fair number is. This estimator shows the range I charge at your size, built from published 2026 market rates for California HR consulting. Every engagement is still confirmed in a written quote before work starts.

How these ranges were set

• Hourly anchor: 2026 rate guides put experienced HR consultants at $125 to $200 an hour and senior compliance specialists at $225 to $375, with San Francisco and other major metros carrying a 20 to 40 percent premium (InvoiceBloom, 2026 consulting rates). My ranges sit in the experienced-to-senior band for the Bay Area, not at the top of it.
• Compliance audits: published project ranges run $5,000 to $20,000 and $8,000 to $30,000 depending on size. A check-up for a company under 25 starts at $3,500 because the scope is smaller, and the 75-plus range reaches the national norm.
• Handbooks: custom handbook projects run $3,000 to $8,000 nationally; California’s longer required policy list puts my larger bands above that.
• Live training: trainer-led California harassment prevention sessions are priced per session, in the low thousands; online per-seat courses run about $5 to $20 an employee, a separate and cheaper product.
• Monthly support: HR advisory retainers are published at $2,000 to $10,000 a month. My advisory and fractional ranges match what is already on my fractional HR page.

Sources: InvoiceBloom 2026 HR consulting rates, Search Solution Group, Coggno on training costs and CalChamber in-person training.

What moves a quote up or down

• How many cities you operate in. Each city with local ordinances adds review time; see the Bay Area city rules.
• The condition of your records. Missing time records or no written policies means more rebuilding.
• Deadlines. A PAGA notice or an agency inquiry compresses the timeline.
• Bundling. A posting audit fee is credited toward a check-up or fractional engagement signed within 30 days.

Covering a leave or a vacancy instead? Interim HR is priced by the day. For a free first look at your risk, try the compliance risk score.

About these numbers. Ranges are planning estimates for typical engagements, not a quote. Unusual scope, multiple states or active litigation are priced separately. See the terms.