One of the first questions clients ask is: what does an accessibility consultant actually cost per day? Fair question. The answer depends on what you are buying, and the range is wider than most people expect.
UK accessibility consultant day rates: a realistic range
| Experience level | Typical day rate |
|---|---|
| Junior accessibility tester | £300 to £450 |
| Mid-level WCAG auditor | £500 to £700 |
| Senior accessibility consultant | £700 to £950 |
| Lead / strategic / litigation-support specialist | £950 to £1,400+ |
These are outside-IR35 contractor rates. A permanent hire or a statement of work via an agency will have different cost structures.
What pushes rates up
Specialisation is the biggest factor. A consultant who can cover WCAG auditing, native mobile, design system review, VPAT production, and EAA compliance strategy in one engagement is genuinely rare. Breadth costs more because it is less common.
Legal context adds to the rate too. If you need someone who can support a legal defence or advise on EAA obligations for your EU product range, that is specific knowledge beyond standard audit work.
Sector experience matters as well. Financial services, healthcare, and government digital each have accessibility requirements that go beyond standard WCAG checks. Someone with direct experience in your sector is not interchangeable with a generalist.
And speed. If you need an audit done in five working days because a tender deadline is looming, you are paying for prioritised availability, not just for the work itself.
What cheap accessibility quotes usually mean
Quotes below £300 per day for a WCAG audit almost always mean one of the following:
- Automated scanning only (tools like axe-core detect roughly 30 to 40% of real issues)
- A junior tester with limited screen reader experience
- A template report that is not specific to your product
- An agency padding the scope and subcontracting at lower rates
Automated scans have value as a first pass. They do not constitute a WCAG audit. A real audit requires manual testing with assistive technology, including NVDA and JAWS on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS and iOS.
What you are actually paying for
When you hire an experienced accessibility consultant at a fair rate, you are paying for:
- Manual testing with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation
- Accurate pass/fail verdicts per WCAG success criterion, not just flagged issues
- Remediation guidance that a developer can implement without further research
- A defensible conformance report if you face regulatory scrutiny
- Knowledge of false positives and edge cases that automated tools miss
I produce WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA audit reports for UK and EU clients. Get in touch to discuss what your project needs and get a day-rate quote based on scope.