Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
The rate you must charge to hit your income target.
Enter your values
Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed.
Results
- Minimum hourly rate
- $103.57
- Day rate (8 hrs)
- $828.60
- Required annual revenue
- $119,111.11
- Billable hours per year
- 1,150
Quick answer
A freelance rate must cover target income plus taxes and business costs, divided only by genuinely billable hours — usually 50–70% of your working week.
How to use the Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
- 1Enter the take-home income you want.
- 2Add business expenses and your tax rate.
- 3Be honest about billable hours per week.
Frequently asked questions
Why not use 40 billable hours?
Admin, sales, invoicing and dead time consume much of the week. Most sustainable freelancers bill 20–30 hours.
Should I charge by project instead?
Often yes — value pricing rewards efficiency, but you still need this rate as the floor for scoping a project.