Original Post: http://drupal.org/node/536998
You ought to look at the discussion over there before working with these numbers. The rate you'll need to pay for Drupal work depends entirely on your project.
The answer to this question is that it depends:
Off-shore rate: $15-$20/hr
Freelancer Rate in North America: $30-$60 -- Cheaper rate more experience, but only enough bandwidth for one project at a time. Not capable of being responsive when working on another client project.
High-end Freelancer rate $80-$100
Consulting Shop Rate: $70-$100 -- A team of people with experience in the web prior to Drupal, perhaps has business or systems experience that helps you with more than just designing the website.
High-end Consulting Shop Rate: $150-$250 -- Best of the best for the biggest Drupal deployment. Capable of anything, but very expensive.
P.S: I also know shops that charge $300/hr, and they are one of the most experienced Drupal shops around and have built some of the biggest Drupal sites.
Each of these categories come with its own advantages and disadvantages.
High-end Drupal Themer rate $75/hour. -- High quality CSS themes in Drupal. Not a coder