Freelance Rate Calculator
Not sure what to charge? Work backwards from the take-home pay you want. Enter your target income, tax, expenses and realistic billable hours to get the hourly and day rate you need. Everything is calculated in your browser.
- Revenue to invoice / year—
- · covers take-home—
- · + tax set-aside—
- · + business expenses—
- Billable hours / year—
How to work out what to charge
A freelance rate isn't a salaried hourly wage. You cover your own tax, business expenses, holidays, sick days, admin and downtime, and you're only paid for billable hours, not every hour you work. So you work backwards:
- Start with the take-home pay you want for the year.
- Gross it up for tax, and add your business expenses — that's the revenue you need to invoice.
- Divide by your realistic billable hours (most freelancers bill 20–30 h/week, not 40).
Now use that rate
Put your rate into a quote, lock it into a contract, then invoice it. Read more: how to write a quote.
FAQ
How do I calculate my freelance rate?
Work backwards from the take-home pay you want. Add the tax you'll owe and your business expenses to get the revenue you need to invoice, then divide by your billable hours in a year. This tool does that for you.
Why is my rate higher than a salary hourly rate?
Because you cover your own tax, expenses, holidays, sick days, admin and downtime — and you're only paid for billable hours, not every hour worked. A freelance rate has to absorb all of that.
How many billable hours should I assume?
Most full-time freelancers bill 20–30 hours a week, not 40 — the rest goes on admin, sales, and unpaid downtime. Be realistic; assuming 40 billable hours will set your rate too low.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.