How much does a keynote speaker charge in 2024?

A keynote speaker is a vital centrepiece to any event or conference.

They can be the difference between a “meh” event and a “wow” event.

They’ll leave your audience with insights and inspiration, but how much should you pay a keynote speaker?

The answer...it depends.

There are a number of factors that impact the fee a keynote speaker will charge.

Speech length

A 15-minute keynote presentation will have a different fee compared to a 90-minute session. It’s expected most keynote speakers will speak for around the 45-60 minute range, so our budget estimates are based on that.

Experience

Are you looking for a well-known, well-travelled keynote speaker who has done this speech hundreds of times or are you prepared to engage an up-and-coming keynote speaker.

The budget between the two keynote speakers will be significant. And there’s no doubt you can land an excellent keynote speaker who is relatively inexperienced for a reasonable price. But as always, our advice is to put your best budget forward in order to get the best possible star for your event.

Preparation

The amount of preparation a keynote speaker will do impacts the fee they’ll charge. If the keynote speaker needs to build a bespoke presentation for your event, expect that to be reflected in the cost - it’ll likely take them days to prepare and rehearse a new keynote speech.

Our keynote speaker fee guide is based on hundreds of engagements booked through Pickstar for keynote speakers.

Travel time

Keynote speakers will expect flights and accommodation to be covered as part of their fee. But the time away from other work and family will impact the fee. Fly someone from Perth to Sydney and they’ll need to be there for two nights, even though they might only be speaking for an hour. But that additional time away from home will be reflected in the fee a keynote speaker will charge.

Keynote speaker fees

For a 45-60 minute keynote speech, excluding flights and accommodation, expect fees in the following range:

$4,000-$7,000
A keynote speaker who has a couple of years experience delivering keynotes to larger audiences, with a deep understanding of their topic.

$7,000-$15,000
In this price range, keynote speakers will have 5+ years of experience in delivering their keynote and will have an expert level of knowledge on the topic they’re discussing. Expect a very well executed keynote that will leave your audience with a truly memorable experience.

$15,000+
Keynote fees can be significantly higher than $15,000, but expect an industry leading expert for this kind of fee. They’ll be one of a handful of experts on this topic in the country and will be able to provide valuable insights to your audience. These keynote speakers will be considerable drawcards for your event or conference given their experience and influence in their specific industry.

*the above prices don’t include GST