What should I charge? The event planner pricing calculator
The question every new planner types into a search bar at midnight. Pick your service, your market, and where you are in your career, and get a defensible range built on 2026 US planning benchmarks. Then see how working planners package and collect it.
Full planning · your suggested range
$3,000 to $9,000 per event
Most planners in your situation quote near $6,000. Based on 2026 US benchmarks, adjusted for your market and experience.
Get your full pricing breakdown
The range above is the honest starting point. The full breakdown shows the package structure behind it: what to include at each tier, the deposit schedule working planners use, and the three mistakes that keep new planners underpaid.
Benchmarks: full planning $4,000–$12,000, partial $2,500–$6,000, month-of $1,500–$3,500, consulting $50–$150/hr (US, 2026). Ranges are directional guidance, not a rate card; your market sets the ceiling.