Freelance Rate Calculator

Calculate your ideal freelance hourly rate based on desired salary, expenses, taxes, and billable hours. Ensure you're pricing your services correctly.

Legal Disclaimer

This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.

Inputs

Desired Annual Salary

Billable Hours/Week

hrs

Weeks Off/Year

weeks

Self-Employment Tax

Tab to move between fields

Results

Minimum Hourly Rate

$90.68

≈ 6 movie tickets

Daily Rate (8 hrs)$725.42

Weekly Rate$2,720.32

Monthly Revenue Needed$10,881.29

Annual Revenue Needed$130,576.00

Annual Billable Hours1,440

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your target Annual Salary equivalent and set Billable Hours per Week.
Add annual business expenses: software, equipment, marketing, insurance.
Set Vacation Weeks and a Profit Margin % as a buffer.
Review the Minimum Hourly Rate needed to meet your financial goals.
Compare against market rates for your specialty — adjust scope or expenses to stay competitive.

How the result changes with Billable Hours/Week

Billable Hours/Week	Minimum Hourly Rate
11	$247.30
24	$113.35
41	$66.35
55	$49.46

What each input means

Desired Annual Salary: The take-home pay you want to earn.
Billable Hours/Week: Realistic billable hours (not total hours worked).
Weeks Off/Year: Vacation, sick time, and holidays.
Self-Employment Tax: US self-employment tax is 15.3% (Social Security + Medicare).
Annual Health Insurance: Annual cost for self-purchased health insurance plan.
Retirement Savings: Percentage of income to save for retirement (e.g., SEP IRA, Solo 401k).
Annual Business Expenses: Software, equipment, office, etc.
Profit Margin: Extra margin above costs for business growth and savings.

How this is calculated

Formula

Hourly Rate = (Desired Salary + Taxes + Insurance + Retirement + Expenses + Profit Margin) ÷ Annual Billable Hours

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Desired Annual Salary = 85000, Billable Hours/Week = 30, Weeks Off/Year = 4, Self-Employment Tax = 15.3 = 8 input(s) provided
Calculate Minimum Hourly Rate
Minimum Hourly Rate
90.68 = $90.68
Calculate Daily Rate
Daily Rate
725.42 = $725.42
Calculate Weekly Rate
Weekly Rate
2720.32 = $2,720.32

Engine last updated July 28, 2026. Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.

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