DACH Agency Benchmark
DACH Agency Benchmark
n = 5
Target: 120
4%
120, because the industry report everyone quotes today has n=119. That is the bar, and it is low.
Margin — Basis: 4 agencies
25% can't state their own project margin.
This is the number behind the audit. You can't protect a margin you don't know.
Scope creep — Basis: 4 agencies
50% hit scope creep often or on almost every project.
Unpaid extra work that few measure and almost everyone carries.
Methodology
Data we collect: service type, headcount, country, billing model, effective hourly rate (median of last 12 months), median project volume, win rate (in bands), number of industries served, scope creep frequency, and average project margin (in bands).
Percentiles: p10, p25, p50, p75, p90 of effective hourly rate per segment.
Threshold: I show a value from two agencies upward, not below. With a single one you would be your own median. The number of agencies is printed next to every value, so you can judge how thin the basis still is. Until July the threshold was five, lowered on 27 July because contributions are anonymous and carry no names.
Who contributed: Agencies from DACH, categorized by service type and size. No names.
Who built this
I, Till, built this benchmark because it didn't exist. No association, no institute, no platform asks DACH agencies about their actual hourly rates and project volumes. If you find this useful: contribute, spread the word, send the link to two colleagues. At 120, I'll turn it into a proper industry report.