Developer rate comparison
Enter the hours and the quotes you have, and compare what the same work costs at each rate.
Free, runs in your browser, no sign-up. Updated 2026-10-25.
Result
For 1000 engineering hours plus design, QA and PM: OceanLab $66,800 at a blended $46.03 an hour. Enter your quotes to compare.
| Option | Blended rate | Cost of the work | One person, one month |
|---|---|---|---|
| OceanLab | $46.03 | $66,800 | $7,400 |
| US software developer median wage (wage only) | $65.38 | $94,800 | $10,500 |
Enter a vendor's blended rate on the left to add it to the table.
Rates compare cost, not output: check what each quote includes (design, QA, project management, handover). The BLS median is May 2025 data.
Assumptions
Every number the result depends on, and where it comes from. Change any value and the result updates.
| Assumption | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OceanLab engineering rate | USD/hour | OceanLab's own rate. OceanLab charges $30-50 an hour depending on role and seniority.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| OceanLab product design rate | USD/hour | OceanLab's own rate. OceanLab charges $30-50 an hour depending on role and seniority.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| OceanLab qa / testing rate | USD/hour | OceanLab's own rate. OceanLab charges $30-50 an hour depending on role and seniority.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| OceanLab project management rate | USD/hour | OceanLab's own rate. OceanLab charges $30-50 an hour depending on role and seniority.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| Product design hours, share of engineering hours | 15 % | OceanLab planning assumption, the same split as the software development cost calculator.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| QA / testing hours, share of engineering hours | 20 % | OceanLab planning assumption, the same split as the software development cost calculator.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| Project management hours, share of engineering hours | 10 % | OceanLab planning assumption, the same split as the software development cost calculator.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| Paid hours per person per month | hours | OceanLab assumption. 40 hours a week × 4 weeks. Planning assumption.Reviewed 2026-10-25 |
| US software developer median wage | 65.38 USD/hour | US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: software developers, median annual wage (May 2025), ÷ 2,080 hoursChecked 2026-10-25 |
Send this comparison to OceanLab
Opens an email to OceanLab with this result and a link to your inputs. Nothing is sent until you press send, and there is no sign-up.
How this is calculated
The work is engineering hours, plus design, QA and project management as shares of them (15%, 20% and 10%, the same split as the cost calculators).
OceanLab's cost uses its role rates: $50 engineering, $45 design, $40 PM and $30 QA. Each quote is a blended hourly rate you enter, applied to the same total hours.
The reference row turns the US BLS median wage for software developers into an hourly wage (÷ 2,080 hours). It is a wage before benefits and overhead, not a vendor rate.
Sources
Questions about this tool
Why are the quotes empty?
Vendor rates vary by country, seniority and what is included, so the tool uses only the quotes you hold. OceanLab's own rates are filled in.
Is a lower rate always cheaper?
Not always. Compare what each quote includes (design, QA, project management, handover) and how many hours each team would need.
Why show a wage, not a salary?
Turning the median yearly wage into an hourly one makes it comparable with hourly quotes. An employee also costs benefits, taxes and equipment on top.
Is anything I enter sent anywhere?
No. The tool runs in your browser and there is no sign-up. Nothing leaves the page unless you choose to email your result to OceanLab.
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