Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator

Work out the hourly and day rate to charge as a freelancer from your income goal, expenses, taxes and billable hours.

How much should I charge as a freelancer?

A freelance rate must cover your target income, business costs and taxes, spread over the hours you can actually bill — usually only 60–70 % of working time after admin, sales and holidays.

The calculation

Revenue needed = (target income + expenses) ÷ (1 − tax rate).
Billable hours = working weeks × hours per week × billable share.
Hourly rate = revenue needed ÷ billable hours.

Example: 60,000 take-home, 6,000 expenses, 25 % tax, 46 weeks of 40 hours at 65 % billable → about 73.58 per hour.

Use this as your minimum; price by value and market rates where you can. Compare with employed pay using the Salary to Hourly Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my freelance rate so much higher than a salary?

You pay your own taxes, equipment, insurance and holidays, and not every hour is billable.

What billable percentage is realistic?

60–70 % for most freelancers.

Should I charge per hour or per project?

Many freelancers calculate an hourly rate and then quote per project.