Billable Hours Calculator for Freelancers
Estimate realistic billable hours per week after sales, admin, and learning time.
The biggest pricing mistake is dividing target income by 40 hours × 52 weeks. Solo freelancers typically bill only 50–70% of working time — this page uses conservative 25 billable hours per week.
Market reference
| Metric | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Solo freelancer utilization | 50–70% | of working hours |
| Annual billable hours | 1,000–1,400 | full-time solo |
| Non-billable time | 30–50% | sales, admin, learning |
| Rate impact | +30–50% | vs assuming 40 hrs/wk billable |
Interactive example — billable hours calculator freelancer
Defaults match this page's scenario. Adjust numbers to see your rate update instantly.
- Minimum hourly
- $114
- Day rate (8h)
- $914
- Typical project
- $5,486
- Monthly retainer
- $12,371
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Frequently asked questions
What percentage of time is billable for freelancers?
Many solo freelancers bill 50–70% of working hours; the rest is sales and admin.
How do I increase billable hours?
Productize services, batch admin tasks, and raise rates instead of only adding hours.
Should vacation be in the calculator?
Yes — reduce weeks worked per year to account for vacation and slow periods.