Okay, let’s tackle this. So Karthik has 8+ years of experience as a software engineer, which is a solid amount of time to have developed skills in cloud computing and DevOps. His expertise in full-stack web development is also in demand. Location is the United States, which is a hub for tech industry. According to national averages, software engineers with similar experience and skills can charge around $100–$150 per hour. Considering Karthik’s expertise and experience, I’ll estimate his rate to be around $125 per hour, which is slightly below the average but still competitive.