Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator

Your numbers

Tax % is a planning buffer for self-employment and income tax (often 25–35%). Refine it with the tax set-aside calculator, then check what an annual profit leaves you with the freelance take-home calculator.

Price from the life you want, not a guess

The Freelancer Income & Quarterly Tax Tracker logs invoices and expenses and keeps a running quarterly estimate so your rate still funds the January 15 payment. Excel and Google Sheets, instant download.

Questions

How much should I charge as a freelancer?

Work backwards from the take-home you need: divide desired take-home by (1 minus your tax set-aside %), add annual business expenses, then divide by billable hours in the year. That hourly rate covers taxes, overhead and unpaid time.

Why use billable hours instead of 40 hours a week?

Marketing, admin, proposals and vacation are not billable. Many freelancers bill 20 to 30 hours in a full-time week and take a few weeks off, so this calculator defaults to 25 hours a week and 48 weeks a year.

What tax percentage should I use?

A common buffer is 25% to 35% of revenue for combined self-employment and income tax. Use your own effective rate when you know it; the tax set-aside calculator estimates one from expected annual profit.

What is a day rate?

This page shows day rate as eight times the hourly rate, a common shorthand for a full billable day. Some clients expect 7 or 7.5 hours; adjust if your contracts differ.

Is this financial or tax advice?

No. It's a free planning tool. Real rates also depend on market demand, niche, experience and fixed contracts, so treat the result as a floor to negotiate from.