Consulting fees in Hong Kong range from HKD310 to over HKD2,000/hour, depending on expertise and service type.
Hourly, project-based, and retainer pricing models are the most common ways consultants charge clients.
To calculate your rate, start with your income goal, factor in taxes, time, and value delivered.
Avoid pricing mistakes like undercharging, not updating rates, or failing to define your niche.
As demand for consultants grows in Hong Kong’s fast-moving business world, one question keeps coming up: how much should you charge?
Pricing consulting services can be tricky for both consultants and clients. Set it too low, and you undervalue yourself; too high, and you risk losing opportunities.
What Are Consulting Fees?
Consulting fees are what a client pays for your expertise and outcomes. They’re not a salary, you aren’t on payroll.
Instead, fees reflect:
- Your experience and specialization
- The value of the results you deliver
- The scope of work and deliverables
- Time spent on research, meetings, execution, and follow-up
Unlike commissions, which are performance-based, consulting fees are usually agreed upfront.
Top Five Consulting Business Areas in Hong Kong
1. Marketing
2. Information Technology (IT)
3. Finance
4. Human Resources (HR)
5. Management and Strategy
You can refer here for the average monthly salary of each consulting position.
How Much Do Consultants Charge in Hong Kong?
Consultant rates in Hong Kong vary widely depending on whether you’re an employee or a freelancer.
Employee Market (2026 – Glassdoor)
- Consultant (all industries): HKD 22K–47K per month
- Median total pay: HKD 35K per month
Note: These are employee roles, not freelance rates. Use as a baseline only.
Freelance Market (2026 – Freelancing.hk)
| Service Providers | Lowest Hourly Rate | Highest Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Freelancers | 60 | 2340 | 448 | 100% |
| 18–29 y/o | 60 | 999 | 364 | 12% |
| 30–49 y/o | 100 | 800 | 338 | 50% |
| Over 50 y/o | 120 | 2340 | 689 | 38% |
| Male freelancers | 60 | 2340 | 2340 | 84% |
| Female freelancers | 60 | 2340 | 1170 | 16% |
Employee pay shows what companies budget for staff. Freelancers usually price higher because clients are buying specialization and measurable outcomes.
What Affects Consulting Fees in Hong Kong?
Several factors influence how much consultants charge in Hong Kong:
- Outcomes delivered: Higher fees for measurable results such as revenue growth, efficiency gains, or compliance improvements.
- Experience and credentials: Senior consultants and specialists command premium rates compared to juniors.
- Proof of results: Strong case studies and testimonials allow consultants to justify higher charges.
- Client type: Corporate clients usually have larger budgets than startups or individuals.
- Scope and workload: More calls, research, revisions, and admin work increase the total cost.
- Business costs: Expenses like software, subcontractors, marketing, and insurance are factored into pricing.
- Market benchmarks: Local consulting fee ranges help set a baseline, but competitive pricing requires differentiation.
How to Calculate Your Consulting Rate in Hong Kong
Consultants in Hong Kong often set rates using a simple, illustrative formula. The figures below are examples only and are not statutory or market-mandated.
1. Set an income goal – e.g., HKD 600,000/year.
2. Estimate billable hours – for example, 35 hours per week × 50 weeks = 1,750 billable hours.
This assumes full utilization and does not account for illness, client gaps, or non-billable business development time.
3. Work out a base hourly rate – HKD 600,000 ÷ 1,750 hours = approximately HKD 343 per hour.
4. Apply a load factor (commonly 1.6× to 2.5×) – to account for overhead, non-billable time, commercial risk, and profit.
At a 2.0× load factor, the illustrative hourly consulting rate becomes HKD 686 per hour.
Consulting Fee Structures
Project-Based Pricing
A company engages a consultant for a 45-hour project.
Using the illustrative hourly rate of HKD 686:
Base fee: HKD 686 × 45 = HKD 30,870.
Adding a 15% contingency buffer results in a fixed project fee of approximately HKD 35,500.
Retainer Model
For ongoing services such as marketing reviews, training, or reporting:
A workload of 20 hours per month × HKD 686 results in HKD 13,720 per month.
Where strategic or advisory value is delivered, retainers are often rounded up, for example HKD 15,000 to HKD 18,000 per month, depending on scope and expectations.
Value-Based Pricing
Where consulting input contributes materially to a commercial outcome, fees may be agreed on a value basis rather than time spent.
For example, if advisory work assists a startup in securing HKD 5,000,000 in funding, a flat consulting fee of HKD 80,000 may be commercially justifiable.
What Else to Include in Your Consulting Fee
Administrative and preparation time, including meetings, revisions, and internal coordination, is often non-billable and should be priced into rates.
Out-of-pocket expenses such as software subscriptions, professional tools, and business travel are typically either reimbursed separately or priced into the fee.
Taxes must be planned for. Consultants operating as sole proprietors or partnerships are subject to profits tax at 7.5% / 15% under the two-tier system, while corporations are subject to 8.25% / 16.5%.
Mandatory MPF contributions of 5% of relevant income, capped at HKD 1,500 per month, also apply where applicable.
The commonly cited suggestion to “set aside around 30% for tax” is not a legal rule and should be treated as a rough planning assumption only. Actual tax exposure depends on profit level, structure, deductions, and personal circumstances.
Non-billable downtime between projects should also be factored into overall pricing.
For help with that in Hong Kong, talk to the experts at Air Corporate.
Hong Kong Tax and MPF (Cash Planning)
Profits Tax (Two-Tier System)
Hong Kong operates a two-tier profits tax regime that continues to apply in the 2025/26 year of assessment and into 2026.
For corporations, the profits tax rate is 8.25% on the first HKD 2,000,000 of assessable profits, with the remaining profits taxed at 16.5%.
Meanwhile, for unincorporated businesses (including sole proprietorships and partnerships) the applicable rate is 7.5% on the first HKD 2,000,000 of assessable profits and 15% on profits exceeding that amount.
A one-off profits tax concession applied for the 2024/25 year of assessment, under which 100% of profits tax payable was waived, subject to a cap of HKD 1,500 per case. This concession was specific to that year and does not apply to the 2025/26 year of assessment or later, unless reintroduced through future budget legislation.
MPF Contributions (Self-Employed)
Under the Mandatory Provident Fund system, self-employed persons are required to make mandatory contributions at a rate of 5% of their relevant income.
No mandatory contributions are required where monthly relevant income is below HKD 7,100.
The maximum level of monthly relevant income for contribution purposes is HKD 30,000, resulting in a maximum mandatory contribution of HKD 1,500 per month.
Mandatory MPF contributions made by self-employed persons are generally deductible when calculating assessable profits for profits tax purposes, subject to the statutory annual deduction cap of HKD 18,000.
Voluntary MPF contributions are not deductible unless they qualify under specific tax incentive schemes.
Consultants in Hong Kong should set aside cash not only for tax and MPF but also for irregular income months to maintain a steady cash flow.
Common Consultant Pricing Mistakes in Hong Kong
Many consultants in Hong Kong lose revenue because of poor pricing practices. Avoid these common mistakes when setting your consulting fees:
- Guessing rates without calculation – Always set fees based on income goals, market benchmarks, and billable hours.
- Ignoring non-billable time and costs – Factor in admin work, marketing, and downtime.
- Pricing only by cost, not value – Clients pay for results (growth, compliance, efficiency), not just hours.
- Treating all clients the same – Adjust pricing for corporates, SMEs, and startups.
- Never reviewing or raising rates – Review your consulting rates annually to keep up with market demand.
- Defaulting to discounts – Undercutting lowers perceived value and makes fees harder to increase later.
- Quoting without a clear scope – Always define deliverables and timelines to avoid scope creep.
Position your consulting services in Hong Kong around measurable outcomes, not just time spent. This makes higher fees easier to justify.
Need help with the business side of consulting, or MPF compliance? Talk to the experts at Air Corporate. We help consultants build a solid, compliant foundation so you can focus on growth.
FAQs
Freelancers charge HKD 310–2,340/hr, average ~HKD 776/hr.
Hourly for uncertain scopes, fixed fees for defined projects, retainers for ongoing work, and value-based pricing for clear, high-impact results.
Work backward from income goals and billable hours, apply a 1.6–2.5x load factor, and quote project or retainer when scope is clear.
Plan for HK profits tax under the two-tier system, plus 5% MPF (capped HKD 1,500/month).
