Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Minimum hourly rate
–
Gross revenue needed / year–
Billable hours / year–
Revenue needed / month–
Day rate (8 h)–
Take-home per billable hour–
How the calculation works
Your target take-home income is grossed up for tax, business expenses are added, and the total is divided by the hours you can realistically bill. Most freelancers bill only 20–30 hours a week because the rest goes to admin, marketing and unpaid gaps, so always use billable hours, not total hours worked.
Tips for setting your rate
- Add 10–20% as a buffer for late payments and slow months.
- Raise your rate every 6–12 months, and quote project prices instead of hourly when you are fast.
- Compare against market rates in your niche before committing.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my rate higher than a salaried hourly wage?
You pay your own taxes, insurance and equipment, you get no paid leave, and you cannot bill every hour. The rate has to cover all of that.
What tax rate should I enter?
Use your expected total effective rate (income tax plus self-employment or social contributions). 20–30% is a common starting point; check with an accountant.
Ad space reserved (active after Google AdSense review approval)
More tools
Project Quote Calculator
Self-Employment Tax (US)
Invoice Generator
Hourly to Salary Converter
Profit Margin Calculator
Mortgage / Loan Calculator
VAT / Sales Tax Calculator
Compound Interest Calculator
Password Generator
Word & Character Counter
Credit Card Payoff
Auto Loan Calculator
ROI & Break-Even
Case Converter
JSON Formatter