Freelance Rate Calculator

Work back from a target take-home income, expenses, tax set-aside and profit buffer to the hourly, day and week rate you need to charge. Calculates in your browser.

Hourly rate

-

Day rate (8 h)-
Week rate-
Revenue to bill-
Billable hours/yr-

Show the math

Add expenses to your target income, mark up for profit, then gross up for tax and divide by billable hours:

gross = (income + expenses) × (1 + profit%) ÷ (1 − tax%)

hourly = gross ÷ (hours/week × weeks)

Billable hours are only part of your week, admin, sales and breaks are unbilled, so keep this well below 40. All math runs in your browser.

What this does

A freelance rate calculator works back from a target take-home income, expenses, tax set-aside, and profit buffer to the hourly, day, and week rate you need to charge.

How to use it

  1. Enter your target income.
  2. Add expenses and profit margin.
  3. Set the tax rate.
  4. Enter your billable hours.

How it works

Admin, sales, and learning are unpaid, so most freelancers bill only part of the working week. Add expenses, mark up for profit, then gross up for tax.

rate = grossed-up target ÷ billable hours

Understanding your result

The rate is what you must charge to hit your take-home target once expenses, tax, and unpaid hours are covered, not your desired salary divided by 40 hours. If the number feels high, remember admin, sales, and gaps between work are unbillable, so a healthy rate funds the whole business.

Example

A $60k take-home target often needs a rate well above $30/hour.

Sources & methodology

Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

How do I set a freelance hourly rate?

Add expenses to your target income, mark up for profit, gross up for tax, then divide by your billable hours for the year.

Why are billable hours lower than 40 a week?

Admin, sales, learning and breaks are unpaid, so most freelancers bill only a portion of their working week.

Is my data stored?

No. Everything is calculated locally in your browser.