Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Enter your target income, billable hours, time off and business costs to find the hourly rate you actually need to charge. It accounts for the hours that never bill, so the number is honest.
Read the guide: How Much to Charge as a Freelancer (Set Your Rate)Target & time
Hourly rate to charge
$81.48
$651.85 day rate
- Billable hours / yr
- 1,080
- Day rate
- $651.85
Only your billable hours pay the bills — admin, marketing and sales eat the rest, so most freelancers bill 50–60%. This is target-rate math, not a tax filing; budget self-employment tax separately.
How it works
- 1
Set your target
Add the income you want for the year and your annual business expenses.
- 2
Enter your time
Add working days, days off, hours per day and the share of hours that bill.
- 3
Get your rate
See the hourly rate and day rate that reach your target.
Instant & 100% private — nothing is uploaded
Every calculation runs locally in your browser. The income, balances and goals you enter stay on your own device and are never sent to a server — nothing is stored, logged or shared.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate my freelance hourly rate?
- Add your target income and yearly business expenses, then divide by your realistic billable hours. If only 50–60% of your work hours bill, use that lower number, not a full 40-hour week.
- How many billable hours can I actually charge?
- Most freelancers bill 50–60% of their working hours; admin, marketing and sales eat the rest. At 40 working hours a week, plan for roughly 20–25 billable.
- Should my freelance rate be higher than my old salary?
- Yes. A common rule is to charge 1.3 to 1.5 times your equivalent employee hourly rate to cover self-employment tax, lost benefits and unpaid time off.
- What business expenses should I include?
- Software, equipment, insurance, marketing, subscriptions and any office or internet costs. Total them for the year and add to your target income before dividing by billable hours.
- Is my data sent anywhere?
- No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, logged or stored, and the numbers reset when you close the tab.
Important
For information and planning only — not financial, tax or legal advice. These figures are estimates; rates, fees and rules vary, so confirm anything that affects a real decision with a qualified professional or the official source.
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