Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Stop guessing your rate. Enter the income you want, your business costs, and how many hours you can actually bill — we'll back into the hourly rate you need to charge.
Annual target
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Get itWhy your rate feels high
Freelancers rarely bill 40 hours a week — admin, sales, and downtime eat into it. If you can bill 25 hours over 48 weeks, that's 1,200 billable hours to cover a full year of income and expenses. That's why a sustainable freelance rate is far higher than the equivalent salary's hourly wage.
How it’s calculated
Billable hours = hours/week × weeks. Rate = (target income + expenses) × (1 + buffer) ÷ billable hours.
Results update as you type and are estimates, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
Worked example
To earn $70k plus $6k expenses on 25 billable hours over 48 weeks, charge about $63/hour.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you can bill 40 hours a week.
- Leaving out a buffer for taxes and slow months.
Where it is used
- Setting a defensible freelance hourly rate.
- Checking if a project rate covers your income goal.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can I really bill?
Most full-time freelancers bill 20–30 hours a week once admin and business development are subtracted.
Should I add a profit buffer?
Yes — a 10–20% buffer covers taxes set-asides, slow months, and reinvestment.
Are taxes included?
Treat the target income as take-home you need, and use the profit buffer plus our self-employment tax calculator to plan for taxes.
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