Freelance Rate Calculator
Stop guessing what to charge. Enter your income target and real working hours, and this calculator works out the hourly rate you actually need — with a rough tax buffer for your country.
Your target
The amount you want to actually keep each year, after tax.
Your working time
Hours you can actually charge clients for — most freelancers manage 20–30.
52 minus holidays, sick days, and gaps between projects.
Tax buffer (rough estimate)
A conservative planning buffer. Adjust it to match your situation — this is not tax advice.
Your recommended hourly rate
$0 / hour
How the math works
Using this rate to quote projects
How to use it
- Choose whether to start from a salary target or from your monthly expenses plus desired profit.
- Enter your billable hours per week and weeks worked per year — be honest, not optimistic.
- Pick your country to apply a rough tax buffer (adjustable, and clearly marked as an estimate).
- Read your recommended hourly and day rate, check the math breakdown, and use the project guidance to quote with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a billable hour?
A billable hour is an hour you can actually charge a client for. Most freelancers bill 20–30 hours of a 40-hour week — the rest goes to admin, marketing, and finding the next project. Be honest about yours; underestimating it is the most common reason freelancers undercharge.
How accurate is the tax adjustment?
The calculator applies a rough country-level tax buffer to your target take-home pay. It is a planning estimate only — not tax advice. Real tax depends on your income level, deductions, business structure, and state or province. Talk to an accountant before relying on it.
Should I use the salary mode or the expenses mode?
Use the salary-target mode and enter the take-home pay you want. Or use expenses mode with your monthly costs plus the profit you want to keep — whichever feels more concrete to you. Both lead to the same math.
Should I charge hourly or per project?
Neither is automatically better. Hourly is simple and fair for open-ended work; fixed project pricing usually earns more once you're fast, because clients pay for the outcome. A common approach: calculate your hourly rate here, then quote fixed prices at 10–20% above the hourly equivalent.