Freelance Rate Calculator
Calculate your ideal freelance hourly or project rate based on desired income, expenses, taxes, and billable hours.
About the Freelance Rate Calculator
Calculate your ideal freelance hourly or project rate based on desired income, expenses, taxes, and billable hours.
Freelance Rate Calculator works backwards from your desired annual income to tell you what to charge per hour, per day, or per project. It factors in business expenses, taxes, time off, and the critical detail most freelancers miss: you can not bill 40 hours a week — admin, marketing, and learning eat 30-40% of your time.
- Type
- Calculator
- Runs in
- Your browser — no account, no install
- Price
- Free
- Results
- Instant, with plain-English interpretation
Freelance Rate Calculator
Frequently asked questions
Employees get benefits worth 25-40% of salary: health insurance, retirement matching, paid leave, equipment, office space, and employer tax contributions. As a freelancer, you pay ALL of this yourself. A $50/hr employee costs the company $65-70/hr — your rate should reflect this.
Realistically 25-30 hours. The rest goes to: finding clients (5-8 hrs), admin and invoicing (3-5 hrs), learning and skill development (2-3 hrs), and communication/meetings (2-4 hrs). Billing 40 hours means working 55-60.
Project-based is usually better for experienced freelancers — it rewards efficiency and decouples income from time. Hourly works better when scope is unclear or the project involves discovery. Many freelancers calculate hourly internally but quote project prices to clients.
Give 30-60 days notice. Frame it as a market adjustment, not a personal decision. Provide the new rate with a brief explanation (increased costs, expanded skills). Offer to lock in the current rate for a longer contract if they commit. Most clients expect annual increases of 5-10%.
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