diff --git a/src/shared/rate-normalizer.ts b/src/shared/rate-normalizer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47d7826
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/rate-normalizer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+type ComparableRate = {
+  isLessThan: boolean;
+  numeric: number;
+};
+
+export function normalizeRateDisplay(value: string): string {
+  const trimmedValue = value.trim();
+  const rangeMatch = trimmedValue.match(
+    /^([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)\s*%?\s*-\s*([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)\s*%$/
+  );
+
+  if (rangeMatch) {
+    const [, lowerBound, upperBound] = rangeMatch;
+    return `${lowerBound}% - ${upperBound}%`;
+  }
+
+  return trimmedValue.replace(/\s+/g, "");
+}
+
+export function parseRateLowerBound(value: string | null | undefined): number | null {
+  const comparableRate = toComparableRate(value);
+  return comparableRate?.numeric ?? null;
+}
+
+export function compareRateValues(
+  leftValue: string | null | undefined,
+  rightValue: string | null | undefined
+): number {
+  const leftComparable = toComparableRate(leftValue);
+  const rightComparable = toComparableRate(rightValue);
+
+  if (!leftComparable && !rightComparable) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  if (!leftComparable) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  if (!rightComparable) {
+    return -1;
+  }
+
+  if (leftComparable.numeric !== rightComparable.numeric) {
+    return leftComparable.numeric - rightComparable.numeric;
+  }
+
+  if (leftComparable.isLessThan === rightComparable.isLessThan) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  return leftComparable.isLessThan ? -1 : 1;
+}
+
+function toComparableRate(value: string | null | undefined): ComparableRate | null {
+  if (!value) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const normalizedValue = normalizeRateDisplay(value);
+  const lessThanMatch = normalizedValue.match(/^<\s*([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)%$/);
+  if (lessThanMatch) {
+    return {
+      isLessThan: true,
+      numeric: Number(lessThanMatch[1])
+    };
+  }
+
+  const rangeMatch = normalizedValue.match(
+    /^([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)%\s*-\s*([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)%$/
+  );
+  if (rangeMatch) {
+    return {
+      isLessThan: false,
+      numeric: Number(rangeMatch[1])
+    };
+  }
+
+  const exactMatch = normalizedValue.match(/^([0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?)%$/);
+  if (exactMatch) {
+    return {
+      isLessThan: false,
+      numeric: Number(exactMatch[1])
+    };
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/tests/rate-normalizer.test.ts b/tests/rate-normalizer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..138158e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rate-normalizer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  compareRateValues,
+  normalizeRateDisplay,
+  parseRateLowerBound
+} from "../src/shared/rate-normalizer";
+
+describe("rate-normalizer", () => {
+  test("normalizes compact ranges", () => {
+    expect(normalizeRateDisplay("0.5%-1%")).toBe("0.5% - 1%");
+  });
+
+  test("normalizes ranges with missing percent on the lower bound", () => {
+    expect(normalizeRateDisplay("0.02 - 0.1%")).toBe("0.02% - 0.1%");
+  });
+
+  test("parses the lower bound of a range", () => {
+    expect(parseRateLowerBound("0.02% - 0.1%")).toBe(0.02);
+  });
+
+  test("treats less-than values as smaller than the boundary range", () => {
+    expect(compareRateValues("<0.02%", "0.02% - 0.1%")).toBeLessThan(0);
+  });
+
+  test("orders missing values after real values", () => {
+    expect(compareRateValues(null, "0.02% - 0.1%")).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+});