Use this free freelance rate calculator to find out exactly what to charge. Enter your desired annual income, how many hours you can bill per week, and what percentage goes to business expenses — and we'll calculate your ideal hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rate instantly.
This is a rate discovery tool, not a profit calculator. Where a profit calculator tells you what you kept after the fact, this calculator helps you set your rates before you take on work — so every project you accept is financially sustainable from day one.
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Discover what you need to charge to hit your income goals
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This freelance rate calculator is built for anyone who earns money by billing time or project work:
If you've ever quoted a project and then realized you barely broke even after taxes and expenses — this tool is for you.
The most common mistake freelancers make is calculating their rate by simply dividing desired income by hours. That formula ignores three critical factors: business expenses, non-billable time, and self-employment taxes.
The correct freelance rate formula:
Hourly Rate = (Desired Net Income) ÷ (1 − Expense Ratio) ÷ Annual Billable HoursStep-by-step:
Use the calculator above to run your specific numbers — the tool handles all of this math instantly.
Your expense ratio is the percentage of gross revenue consumed by costs before you pay yourself. Here are realistic benchmarks by freelance type:
| Freelancer Type | Typical Expense Ratio | Key Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Writer / editor | 15–20% | Software, invoicing tools, self-employment taxes |
| Web developer | 20–28% | Software, hosting, equipment, liability insurance |
| Designer | 22–30% | Adobe CC, stock assets, hardware refresh |
| Consultant / coach | 25–35% | CRM, health insurance, retirement, marketing |
| Marketing / SEO freelancer | 20–30% | SEO tools, reporting platforms, software |
| Full-stack freelancer team | 30–40% | Payroll tools, legal, accounting, HR |
Conservative rule: Use 30% if you're new. You'll underestimate costs at first, and it's far better to overcharge by a small margin than to realize six months in that you can't afford health insurance.
Most freelancers overestimate how many hours they can actually bill. Here's where the time really goes in a typical 40-hour freelance week:
The practical implication: If you're quoting a rate assuming 35 billable hours/week but only billing 20, your effective hourly rate is 57% lower than you think. This is the single biggest reason freelancers underearn.
Use the calculator with honest numbers — set your weekly billable hours at what you actually bill clients, not your total working hours.
Start with your desired net annual income. Divide by (1 - your expense ratio as a decimal) to get the gross revenue you need. Then divide by your total annual billable hours. For example: want $85,000 net with 25% expenses working 25 hrs/week for 48 weeks = $85,000 / 0.75 = $113,333 gross ÷ 1,200 hours = $94.44/hr. Use the freelance rate calculator above to run your specific numbers instantly.
Most freelancers should plan for 20–35% in business expenses. This includes software subscriptions, professional insurance (liability, health), accounting and bookkeeping, marketing, continuing education, retirement savings, and the self-employment tax gap (since no employer withholds your share). Conservative freelancers use 30–35%; those with very low overhead can sometimes go as low as 15–20%.
Most freelancers bill 15–25 hours per week on average. The rest goes to admin, prospecting, invoicing, communication, and non-billable overhead. Full-time freelancers who are highly disciplined may hit 30–35 billable hours/week. Most clients assume contractors work 40-hour weeks, but actual billable work rarely exceeds 25–30 hours when you factor in everything else.
Yes — typically 2–3× higher than a salaried equivalent. As a freelancer you pay both halves of FICA (15.3% self-employment tax), cover your own benefits (health, retirement, paid leave), absorb all business costs, and face income variability. If a salaried employee earns $50/hr equivalent, a freelancer doing similar work should charge $75–$100/hr to achieve the same standard of living.
Plan for 48 working weeks, not 52. That accounts for 2 weeks vacation, public holidays (~2 weeks), and occasional gaps between clients. Newer freelancers may have more downtime; established freelancers with steady clients may get closer to 50 weeks. Always build buffer weeks into your rate so gaps don't derail your income.
A salary is a fixed annual amount paid by an employer who covers your payroll taxes, benefits, equipment, and overhead. A freelance rate is your gross charge to clients — out of which you must cover self-employment tax (15.3%), health insurance, retirement, software, equipment, and all other business costs. A freelancer earning $100/hr gross may net the equivalent of a $60–70/hr salaried employee after all expenses are accounted for. This is why freelance rates must be substantially higher than comparable salaries.
The calculator's expense ratio field is the right place to account for the self-employment tax gap — the extra 7.65% employers normally cover that freelancers pay themselves. For a clean separation, set your income goal to your desired post-expense, pre-income-tax income, then use a 25–35% expense ratio to cover SE taxes and business costs. Income tax itself is paid separately as estimated quarterly payments and is not embedded in your rate.
Yes. Take your calculated hourly rate, estimate the realistic hours the project requires (including revisions, meetings, and admin), and multiply. Add a 15–25% buffer for scope creep. For example: a website redesign estimated at 40 hours at $100/hr = $4,000 base + 20% buffer = $4,800 minimum quote. Never quote project rates without knowing your hourly floor first.
Raise rates with existing clients at contract renewal — not mid-project. Give 30–60 days notice and frame it as a standard annual review. A 10–15% increase rarely triggers client loss when your work is delivering value; clients who leave over a modest rate increase were almost always undervaluing your work to begin with. For new clients, simply quote the new rate from day one.
Most experienced freelancers recommend reviewing rates annually, and raising them at minimum to match inflation. Stronger signals that your rate is too low: clients accept without negotiation, you're turning away work, or you notice you're the cheapest option being considered. Raising rates by 10–20% per year is common during the first 3–5 years of an active freelance practice and reflects both market positioning and growing expertise.
Knowing your rate is step one. Getting clients to pay it is step two. A few practical principles:
This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Rates vary by market, industry, and experience level. Consult a business advisor for advice specific to your situation.