How Much Does a Statistical Consultant Actually Cost?

The honest answer is "it depends," but that's not a useful answer, so here's what it depends on. Statistical consulting is priced in two main ways: hourly and project-based (a fixed quote for a defined scope of work). Rates vary by provider, specialization, and scope. DASS provides a project-specific quote after reviewing the question, expected data condition, deliverables, and timeline. An hourly rate alone does not tell you how much effort those tasks will require.

What actually drives the price

• How defined the question is. "Run a mixed-effects model on this clean dataset and produce three figures" is a fundamentally different job than "help us figure out what we can even claim from this data," even if both take a few hours.
• Data condition. Clean, well-documented data with a clear codebook costs less to work with than raw exports from three different systems that need reconciling before analysis can start.
• Novelty of the method. A standard regression is faster to run and defend than a custom simulation, a novel psychometric model, or a method that needs its own justification in a methods section.
• Deliverable format. A slide deck of results costs less than a peer-review-ready methods section, a full reproducible code package, or a document written to survive a funder's own statistical reviewer.
• Timeline. Compressing six weeks of work into one doesn't just cost more — at some point it isn't possible without cutting a corner somewhere, and a consultant who says so is doing you a favor.

When fixed, hourly, or staged pricing fits

A fixed fee can suit a clearly defined deliverable with agreed assumptions and boundaries. Hourly billing with a cap or a staged agreement can suit exploratory or diagnostic work whose effort is uncertain. Compare what each arrangement includes, how progress is reported, and how changes require approval. No pricing structure removes the need for a clear scope.

What to ask before you compare quotes

Two quotes that look far apart often aren't quoting the same thing. Before comparing price, make sure you're comparing scope: does the number include revisions after you see a draft? Does it include a methods write-up your funder or journal will actually accept, or just output? Is reproducible code part of the deliverable, or an extra? A lower number that doesn't include the part you actually need isn't a better price.

If you want a number instead of a range, tell us what you're working on and we'll give you a scoped quote, not a rate card.

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