Freelance Hourly & Day Rate Calculator
Turn a target take-home income into the hourly and day rate you must charge - after unbillable weeks, expenses, tax and margin.
-
About this calculator
Your rate is not your salary divided by 2,080 hours. Freelancers only bill part of the week, take unpaid time off, cover their own expenses and tax, and should build in a profit buffer. This tool works backwards from the take-home you want: it grosses up for tax, adds expenses and margin, then divides by the hours you can actually bill to give a defensible hourly and day rate.
FAQ
How do I calculate my freelance hourly rate?
Add your target income and business expenses, gross up for tax, add a profit margin, then divide by your realistically billable hours in a year (not all 2,080).
What is a day rate?
Simply the hourly rate multiplied by billable hours per day (usually 8). This tool shows both.
Why is my rate higher than an employee salary?
You self-fund holidays, sick days, tax, tools, insurance and downtime between clients - all of which an employer would otherwise cover.