Free Freelance Rate Calculator
Work out the hourly rate you actually need to charge to hit your take-home goal, after time off, expenses, and taxes. No signup, runs in your browser.
How it works
- Add your goal take-home, the real billable hours you can sell each week, and your weeks off. Most people overestimate billable hours, so be honest.
- Add yearly business expenses and a tax-plus-profit buffer. Freelancers pay self-employment tax on top of income tax, so a buffer of 25 to 35 percent is normal.
- The calculator grosses your goal up to cover expenses and the buffer, then divides by the hours you can actually bill. That is your floor rate.
Why your rate is higher than you think
The mistake is dividing a salary by 2,080 hours. A freelancer does not bill 40 hours a week. Between sales, admin, and unpaid gaps, 20 to 30 billable hours is realistic, and a chunk of every dollar goes to taxes and expenses you used to not see. That is why a $60,000 take-home goal can require a rate north of $70 an hour, not the $29 you get from naive math.
Treat the number here as a floor, not a ceiling. It is the rate that keeps you solvent at your stated hours. If you want savings, retirement, or a real margin, charge above it. The honest move is to know the floor before a client ever names a budget.
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Frequently asked questions
How many billable hours should I assume?
For most solo freelancers, 20 to 30 a week is realistic once you subtract sales, admin, and downtime. Full-time agencies plan around 60 to 70 percent utilization. If you put 40 here, your rate will come out too low to survive a normal week.
What tax buffer should I use?
In the US, self-employment tax is 15.3 percent on net earnings, on top of federal and state income tax. A combined buffer of 25 to 35 percent is a safe starting point. Confirm with a tax professional, because your bracket and state change the number.
Is this the rate I should quote clients?
It is your floor, the rate that covers your goal at your stated hours. Quote at or above it. Going under means you are funding the client out of your own take-home.
Does it store my numbers?
No. The math runs entirely in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Refresh and it resets.
Hourly or project pricing?
Use this to find your true hourly floor, then translate it into a project price by estimating hours and adding your buffer. Clients often prefer a fixed price, but you should still know your hourly floor behind it.