I have found experienced programmers will charge between $60 to $150 depending on the complexity of the project.
You can always try going offshore to find a contractor for cheap, but as always, the pros and cons must be considered.
If you do a search on ET, you will find links to experienced EL programmers or try the tradestation EL forum.
If you need some recommendations, send me a PM.
Also always remember to make the programmer sign an NDA to protect your idea. Any reputable programmer will have no problem with this.