Freelance Rate Calculator
Find the lowest rate that still pays you what you want to earn. Start from your desired take-home income, add taxes and business expenses, subtract holidays and sick days, and allow for the hours spent on sales, admin and learning that nobody pays for. The calculator turns this into a minimum hourly and day rate and the weekly and monthly revenue you need to hit.
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Free to use
Software, equipment, insurance, accounting, coworking…
Holidays, sick days and public holidays.
The rest goes to sales, admin and learning.
This is the minimum to reach your income; market rates for your skills may be higher.
How to use Freelance Rate Calculator
- Enter your target income and expenses.
- Add your tax rate and weeks off.
- Set working hours and the billable share.
- Compare the result with market rates.
Freelance Rate Calculator features
Income-based
From what you need to earn.
Non-billable time
Sales, admin and learning.
Time off
Holidays and sick days.
Revenue targets
Weekly and monthly.
Formula shown
Every result explains how it was calculated.
Any currency
Choose from 30+ currencies; amounts are formatted for it.
When to use Freelance Rate Calculator
- Setting rates when going freelance.
- Reviewing rates once a year.
- Converting a salary to a freelance rate.
- Preparing a quote.
Freelance Rate Calculator FAQ
Why is the rate so much higher than my old hourly wage?
As a freelancer you pay your own taxes, equipment, holidays and pension, and only part of your time is billable.
What billable share is realistic?
50–70% is common. New freelancers often spend more time finding work.
Should I charge exactly this rate?
It is the minimum. Charge what the value and the market support.
Does it handle project pricing?
Use the Freelance Project Calculator to price a project from task estimates.
Why freelance rates look high
An employee is paid for holidays, sick days and admin time, and the employer pays equipment and part of the taxes. A freelancer pays all of that from billable hours, so the hourly rate has to cover much more than the time spent on client work.
The profit buffer is there for slow months, late payments and investment in the business.
Treat the result as a planning estimate. The inputs are assumptions about the future, so try a cautious and an optimistic set of numbers and plan with the range rather than a single figure.
Small differences in the rate or the number of years make a large difference over long periods. Change one input at a time to see which assumption matters most for your plan, and revisit the numbers once a year.