Freelance Rate Calculator
Fill in your numbers below and instantly see the hourly rate you need to charge to cover expenses, pay taxes, and hit your income goals.
Your Numbers
All fields update results in real time.
Your Rates
Updated instantly as you type.
Minimum Hourly Rate
—
Break-even. Covers expenses + taxes only.
Recommended Hourly Rate
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Includes expenses, taxes & your profit goal.
Day Rate
—
Recommended rate × billable hours/day.
Monthly Income Target
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Gross revenue needed each month.
Annual Income Target
—
Gross revenue needed per year.
How the Calculation Works
- Net monthly need — Add your living expenses and desired profit to find how much take-home pay you need each month.
-
Gross up for taxes — Divide by
(1 − tax rate)so enough is left after taxes. - Adjust for vacation — Vacation days reduce your billable months, so the cost is spread across the days you do work.
- Divide by hours — Divide the adjusted monthly gross by your total billable hours/month to get your hourly rate.
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