Calculate Freelance Rate — Hourly, Day & Project
Calculate your freelance rate from income goals, taxes, expenses, and billable hours — free online tool.
To calculate a freelance rate that actually pays your bills, start with take-home income — not what you used to earn per hour as an employee. This example uses $85k target, 30% tax, and 25 billable hours per week.
Market reference
| Metric | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Start point | take-home $ goal | not old salary |
| Tax + SE (US) | 28–35% | planning range |
| Billable hours | 20–30/wk | realistic |
| Output | hr / day / project | one calculator |
Interactive example — calculate freelance rate
Defaults match this page's scenario. Adjust numbers to see your rate update instantly.
- Minimum hourly
- $108
- Day rate (8h)
- $862
- Typical project
- $6,195
- Monthly retainer
- $11,663
Recommended next step
Turn your rate into paid invoices
Once you know your rate, invoice clients and track payments in one place.
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Use our free freelance rate calculator for unlimited scenarios. All calculations run in your browser — no signup, no data upload.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a freelance rate?
Add taxes and expenses to your income goal, divide by annual billable hours — then add a risk buffer for projects.
What is a good freelance hourly rate?
There is no universal number — it depends on niche, location, and expenses. Use your own numbers, not averages alone.
Should I calculate rate before every proposal?
Yes — adjust billable hours and risk buffer per project so underquoting does not eat your margin.