Hiring someone to run your Facebook ads costs $20 to $45 an hour for a freelancer on Upwork, $500 to $1,400 a month for a small-business agency package, and $975 a month or 15% of ad spend, whichever is greater, at a mid-size agency like WebFX. DTC agencies managing larger budgets charge $8,000 to $25,000 a month. All of these fees come on top of the ad budget you pay Meta.
Prices below are from each provider's published pricing or rate guide, checked in October 2026.
Facebook ads management prices in 2026
| Who runs your ads | Price | What's included | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance PPC specialist | $20–$45/hour | Entry level $20–$25, expert $35–$45 (Upwork median rates) | Upwork |
| LYFE Marketing, image ads | $500/month + $300 setup | Facebook and Instagram image ads. They recommend at least $500/month ad spend | LYFE Marketing |
| LYFE Marketing, image + video | $1,400/month + $300 setup | Image and video ads. Video-only is $800/month | LYFE Marketing |
| Small-business agency tier | About $570/month | For $500–$2,000/month ad spend | Linear Design |
| Growth agency tier | About $940/month | For $2,001–$5,000/month ad spend | Linear Design |
| WebFX Pro | $1,975 first month, then $975 or 15% of spend | For $1,000–$30,000/month ad spend | WebFX |
| WebFX Enterprise | $4,250 first month, then $4,500 or 12% of spend | For $30,000+/month ad spend | WebFX |
| DTC paid media agency | $8,000–$25,000/month | Meta plus other channels, for brands spending $30,000+/month | Darkroom |
| Full-time in-house PPC specialist | $43,000–$75,000/year | US salary range, before benefits and tools | Upwork |
The three ways agencies charge
Flat monthly fee. You pay the same amount every month. This is the norm for small budgets. Most published flat fees fall between $500 and $5,000 a month, according to Linear Design's pricing guide.
Percentage of ad spend. The fee is a share of what you spend on Meta, usually 10% to 25%. Agencies switch to this model once spend passes a threshold, often $5,000 to $10,000 a month. WebFX uses a hybrid: a minimum fee or a percentage, whichever is greater.
Hourly. Common with freelancers and consultants. Upwork's PPC specialists charge $20 to $45 an hour. Hourly works well for audits, setup, or a fixed number of hours a month.
Some agencies also charge setup fees. WebFX charges $1,975 for the first month, against a $975 ongoing minimum, and LYFE Marketing charges $300. Linear Design reports that about 30% of providers require 6 to 12-month contracts, while 24% have no minimum.
What it costs at different ad budgets
Here is roughly what management adds at three spend levels, using the published prices above.
| Monthly ad spend | Freelancer (10 hrs/month at $35) | WebFX Pro (15% or $975) | Percentage agency at 15% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $350 | $975 | $450 (most have a minimum fee above this) |
| $10,000 | $350–$700 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | Rarely enough time | Enterprise tier: $6,000 (12%) | $7,500 |
The freelancer hours are our assumption for a small account. Bigger budgets need more hours, so freelancer costs rise with spend too.
At $3,000 a month in ad spend, a $975 fee is 33% on top of your media. That is why small accounts often do better with a freelancer or a flat small-business package than a percentage agency with a minimum.
Check whether creative is included
This is where quotes differ most. Many management fees cover campaign setup, targeting, budgets, and reporting, but not making the ads.
- LYFE Marketing prices its packages by ad type (image, video, or both), so some creative is part of the fee.
- Darkroom lists performance creative as a separate service at $5,000 to $15,000 a month, on top of paid media management.
- Freelance media buyers usually expect you to supply the ads.
Meta's delivery depends heavily on creative, and ads wear out within weeks. Ask any agency how many new ads per month the fee includes. If the answer is "a few," budget for creative separately. Our breakdown of what ad creative costs covers the options, from AI tools to UGC.
Questions to ask before you sign
- 1.What does the fee include: setup, creative, copy, landing page advice, reporting?
- 2.How many new ads will you launch each month?
- 3.Is the fee flat, a percentage, or a minimum plus a percentage?
- 4.Is there a setup fee or minimum contract?
- 5.Who owns the ad account, the pixel, and the creative files if we part ways?
- 6.How will you report results, and which metric matters most: cost per purchase, ROAS, or leads?
Always keep the ad account in your own Business Manager and give the agency partner access. You keep the history if you switch.
If you run an agency
The same numbers work as a pricing check for your own retainers. Small-business packages cluster around $500 to $1,500 a month, and percentage deals sit at 10% to 20% for mid-size budgets. Creative production is usually where agency margins disappear. One designer can't keep up with weekly refreshes across ten clients.
Adrio is built for that workload. The Max plan is $149 a month with unlimited brands, so you can produce, review, and launch new static and video ads for every client from one workspace. See how agencies run multiple brands in Adrio.
FAQ
How much should I pay someone to manage my Facebook ads?
For a small business spending under $5,000 a month on ads, $500 to $1,000 a month is typical for an agency, or $20 to $45 an hour for a freelancer. Above $5,000 in spend, expect 10% to 20% of ad spend or a minimum fee around $1,000.
Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer or an agency for Facebook ads?
A freelancer is usually cheaper for small accounts: 10 hours a month at $35 is $350. Agencies cost more but often include creative, reporting, and a team, which matters once spend passes $10,000 a month.
Does the management fee include ad spend?
No. Agencies and freelancers bill for their work. The ad budget is paid directly to Meta and is separate. LYFE Marketing, for example, asks for at least $500 a month in ad spend on top of its fee.
How much does it cost to have someone set up Facebook ads?
Setup fees range from nothing to about $2,000. LYFE Marketing charges $300. WebFX's first month is $1,975 against a $975 monthly minimum afterwards. Some agencies, including Linear Design, charge no setup fee.
