Costs and pricing
Part of When a content marketing agency retainer may suit your team
When a content marketing agency retainer may suit your team
A practical guide to when a content marketing agency retainer may suit your team, weighing workload, in-house overheads, flexibility and compliance.
What to take away
- In this illustrative comparison, a content marketing agency retainer for a single writer is about £1,800 to £3,000 a month. Whether it costs less than a first hire depends on the assumptions.
- The example two-person Midlands team costs £89,770 a year once employer National Insurance, pension and kit are included. That equals £7,481 a month.
- On these assumptions, in-house breaks even at roughly 20 pieces a month. Below that volume, a retainer may win on cost per deliverable.
- London weighting adds about £25,000 a year to the same illustrative team, so the break-even point shifts with your region.
Employer costs that sit outside the salary
The salary on the advert is the smallest part of the bill. Employers pay National Insurance at 15% on earnings above the secondary threshold, a rate in place since April 2025. Pension auto-enrolment adds at least 3% of qualifying earnings.
True cost of an employee
- 15%Employer National Insurance rate
- 3%Minimum pension auto-enrolment
- Above thresholdNI applies to earnings
- Not in advertHidden employer costs
Kit, software licences and recruitment fees sit on top. Sickness and holiday cover fall on you, while an agency builds that cover into its day rate.
Pay data comes from the ONS employment and labour market statistics hub, where the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings breaks pay down by region and occupation.
Example: a two-person team in the Midlands
The table covers a senior content manager and a content executive. Every figure is illustrative, not a quotation from an employer or agency.
Two-person team in the Midlands
| Line item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Senior content manager salary | £48,000 |
| Content executive salary | £26,000 |
| Employer National Insurance at 15% | £9,600 |
| Pension at 3% of qualifying earnings | £1,846 |
| Laptops, software and equipment | £4,324 |
| Total | £89,770 |
Midlands two-person team costs
- Senior content manager£45,000
- Content executive£28,000
- Employer National Insurance£9,450
- Pension contributions£1,820
- Laptop, software, licences£3,000
- Recruitment over two years£2,500
That £89,770 equals £7,481 a month for two people. It excludes the manager's own time spent supervising the pair.
Swap in London-weighted salaries and the total rises to roughly £114,500, so the break-even moves.
What a single-writer agency retainer costs
A retainer is priced on output rather than headcount. Illustrative UK rates for one writer sit between £1,800 and £3,000 a month for four to eight pieces.
Our breakdown of retainer fee structures sets out which items sit inside that monthly number, including strategy time, editing and reporting. Read it before you compare a quote against a salary.
Agencies also hold specialists you could not justify hiring alone, such as a technical SEO or a video editor. You rent that capability by the hour.
Where the break-even point sits
Compare the two routes on cost per piece. At an illustrative £350 a piece, the £7,481 monthly team cost buys about 21 pieces.
On these illustrative assumptions, below roughly 20 pieces a month, the agency retainer is cheaper per deliverable. Above that volume, with steady demand, in-house costs less per deliverable.
Quiet quarters matter too. A retainer can be paused or cancelled, and a salary is paid whether the work performs or not.
Five steps before you commit
- Pull the ASHE median salary for your region and job title.
- Add employer National Insurance at 15% above the secondary threshold and pension at 3% of qualifying earnings.
- Add laptops, software licences and any recruitment fee, then divide by twelve.
- Cost the agency output you actually need each month.
- Divide your monthly team cost by the agency cost per piece to get your break-even volume.
Decide on that number rather than on preference.
Drop well below the break-even and a freelance arrangement may cover the work for less. Our comparison of agency versus freelancer explains where each model fits.
Compliance costs land on you either way. The ICO's direct marketing and privacy guidance governs consent and list building, whoever writes the copy.
The advertising codes enforced by the ASA cover promotional claims, and that liability stays with your business.
Common questions
Is a content marketing agency cheaper than hiring in-house?
The illustrative figures suggest an agency retainer may cost less for one or two writers in year one, but the result depends on the work and assumptions. A retainer covers the work alone, while a hire adds employer National Insurance, pension, kit and recruitment.
How much does an agency retainer cost per month?
Illustrative UK rates for a single writer run from about £1,800 to £3,000 a month for four to eight pieces. Ask whether strategy, editing and reporting are included.
At what point does in-house become cheaper?
On the illustrative figures above, in-house becomes cheaper at roughly 20 pieces a month. You also need steady demand through the year, because a salaried team is paid in quiet months too.
What is hidden inside an agency retainer?
Check what counts as a revision, whether strategy time is billed separately, and who pays for paid media. Ownership and notice periods matter too, so review the contract terms to check before signing.
