Flex rates: $15–110 an hour, by task type
Every Flex task shows its rate before you apply. The band depends on the task type and the level the client needs. Below are the seven bands, market reference rates by role and level, and the fee we add on top.
What each task type pays per hour.
Bands are set in USD and apply wherever you live: Flex pay follows the task, not your address. Local currency is shown at indicative FX.
| Task type | Band | USD | GBP | EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test cycles & exploratory | $22–45 | £17–36 | €20–41 | |
| Automation scripts | $40–80 | £32–63 | €37–74 | |
| Localization QA | $18–36 | £14–28 | €17–33 | |
| AI evaluation | $25–70 | £20–55 | €23–64 | |
| Accessibility audits | $35–75 | £28–59 | €32–69 | |
| Mobile & game playtests | $15–32 | £12–25 | €14–29 | |
| Security tests | $55–110 | £43–87 | €51–101 |
Bar scale: $0 to $110 per hour. Project-priced tasks show a fixed price and the hourly rate it works out to, which always sits inside the band.
Reference rates by role and level.
What a contractor in this role typically bills per hour on a long, open-ended engagement. A benchmark, not an offer.
USD · United States market data
| Role | Junior | Mid | Senior | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual QA Tester | $38 | $49 | $61 | $72 |
| QA Automation Engineer | $56 | $73 | $93 | $111 |
| SDET | $60 | $79 | $100 | $120 |
| Mobile QA Engineer | $47 | $64 | $83 | $101 |
| Performance Test Engineer | $67 | $88 | $117 | $140 |
| Security / Penetration Tester | $84 | $109 | $139 | $168 |
| Game QA Tester | $32 | $40 | $52 | $67 |
| Accessibility Tester | $44 | $59 | $75 | $93 |
| Business / Test Analyst | $41 | $53 | $69 | $82 |
| Data / ETL QA Engineer | $46 | $60 | $78 | $95 |
| Localization QA Tester | $23 | $29 | $37 | $47 |
| AI / LLM Evaluation QA | $43 | $62 | $89 | $116 |
| Release / DevOps Engineer | $66 | $87 | $111 | $136 |
| Technical Writer (QA / Docs) | $41 | $54 | $72 | $87 |
GBP · United Kingdom market data
| Role | Junior | Mid | Senior | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual QA Tester | £18 | £23 | £28 | £33 |
| QA Automation Engineer | £26 | £34 | £43 | £52 |
| SDET | £28 | £37 | £47 | £56 |
| Mobile QA Engineer | £22 | £30 | £39 | £47 |
| Performance Test Engineer | £31 | £41 | £54 | £65 |
| Security / Penetration Tester | £39 | £51 | £64 | £78 |
| Game QA Tester | £15 | £18 | £24 | £31 |
| Accessibility Tester | £21 | £27 | £35 | £43 |
| Business / Test Analyst | £19 | £25 | £32 | £38 |
| Data / ETL QA Engineer | £21 | £28 | £36 | £44 |
| Localization QA Tester | £11 | £13 | £17 | £22 |
| AI / LLM Evaluation QA | £20 | £29 | £41 | £54 |
| Release / DevOps Engineer | £31 | £40 | £52 | £63 |
| Technical Writer (QA / Docs) | £19 | £25 | £33 | £40 |
EUR · Germany market data
| Role | Junior | Mid | Senior | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual QA Tester | €21 | €27 | €34 | €40 |
| QA Automation Engineer | €31 | €40 | €51 | €62 |
| SDET | €33 | €44 | €56 | €67 |
| Mobile QA Engineer | €26 | €35 | €46 | €56 |
| Performance Test Engineer | €37 | €49 | €65 | €78 |
| Security / Penetration Tester | €47 | €60 | €77 | €93 |
| Game QA Tester | €18 | €22 | €29 | €37 |
| Accessibility Tester | €25 | €33 | €42 | €51 |
| Business / Test Analyst | €23 | €30 | €38 | €46 |
| Data / ETL QA Engineer | €25 | €33 | €43 | €53 |
| Localization QA Tester | €13 | €16 | €21 | €26 |
| AI / LLM Evaluation QA | €24 | €35 | €49 | €64 |
| Release / DevOps Engineer | €37 | €48 | €62 | €75 |
| Technical Writer (QA / Docs) | €23 | €30 | €40 | €48 |
median annual pay ÷ 2,080 hours × 1.25 contractor premium
Median annual pay is the role's US base pay (junior to lead) scaled by a country pay index and exchange rate, the same model as our salary pages. USD uses US data, GBP uses UK data and EUR uses German data (Ireland runs about 28% higher). The 1.25 premium covers unpaid time off, tools and your own taxes and insurance. Rates are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Flex bands sit 6–41% below reference for the same skill.
We would rather say so than let you find out. Flex tasks are short and pre-scoped. The client has no hiring cost and no ramp-up, and you choose your hours. Here is the comparison for mid-level pay in the US.
| Task type | Closest role | Flex midpoint | Reference, mid | Flex as % of reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test cycles & exploratory | Manual QA Tester | $34 | $49 | 68% |
| Automation scripts | QA Automation Engineer | $60 | $73 | 83% |
| Localization QA | Localization QA Tester | $27 | $29 | 94% |
| AI evaluation | AI / LLM Evaluation QA | $48 | $62 | 76% |
| Accessibility audits | Accessibility Tester | $55 | $59 | 93% |
| Mobile & game playtests | Game QA Tester | $24 | $40 | 59% |
| Security tests | Security / Penetration Tester | $82 | $109 | 76% |
AI evaluation is the closest to reference because rubric work is scarce and calibrated. Test cycles are furthest below because the work is the most widely available.
You keep 100% of the rate you accept.
The client pays the tester's rate plus a 30% service fee. That fee funds vetting, payments, support and replacements. It is never taken out of your pay.
The fee is 23% of what the client pays. The same markup is published for companies on the company pricing table.
Four things set where you land in a band.
Level
Senior profiles who can lead a task sit at the top of the band. Juniors sit at the bottom.
Scarcity
Native speakers of rarer languages, security and accessibility specialists and AI raters with domain skills earn more.
Urgency
A start inside 48 hours or a weekend window can move a task up.
Track record
Members with Preferred status and clean timesheets are matched to the highest-paying tasks first.
Pay and tax questions.
How are Flex tasks paid?
Either hourly, from a weekly timesheet, or as a fixed project price split into milestones. The card for each task shows which. You log hours by day, submit by Monday 12:00 UTC, the client approves, and we pay on Friday of that week.
What if the client is slow to approve?
Approved hours are paid on Friday whatever the client's own payment terms are. If the client has not approved within five working days, we pay the undisputed hours anyway and take it up with the client. If part of a timesheet is disputed, you are paid for the rest on time.
Which currencies and payout methods do you support?
We pay in USD, GBP or EUR by bank transfer: ACH, Faster Payments, SEPA or SWIFT depending on your country. PassRidge pays the transfer fee. Your own bank may charge an intermediary or conversion fee, so choose the payout currency that matches your account if you can.
Do you withhold tax?
No. You are an independent contractor, so you report your income and pay income tax and social contributions yourself. We collect a W-9 or W-8BEN, or a tax-residency self-certification, at onboarding, and issue tax forms such as a 1099-NEC where the law requires. This is not tax advice: talk to an accountant in your country.
Do I need a company or a VAT number?
In most countries you can start as an individual or sole trader. In some, you must register as self-employed before you can invoice. We flag this during onboarding. If you are VAT-registered, add your number and we will treat invoices accordingly.