Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Work out the hourly rate a freelancer needs to charge to hit an income goal — after accounting for unbillable time and business expenses, which is where most new freelancers under-price.
Your details
- Billable hours / year
- 1,200
- Total to earn
- $110,000.00
Formula
Rate = (target income + business expenses) ÷ (billable hours per week × working weeks per year). Only genuinely billable hours count.
How it works
Freelancers can't bill 40 hours a week — admin, sales, and gaps eat a big chunk. If you can bill 25 of 40 hours and take a few weeks off, your rate has to be far higher than a salary ÷ 2,080 would suggest.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set my freelance rate?⌄
Start from the income you want, add your business expenses, and divide by the hours you can realistically bill in a year — not total hours worked. That's your floor.
Why is my rate higher than my old salary's hourly?⌄
Because you bill far fewer than 2,080 hours a year and cover your own expenses, taxes, and benefits. A rate near your salary's hourly would leave you underpaid.
Should I include taxes?⌄
This finds the pre-tax rate to hit a target income. Remember to set aside money for self-employment and income tax on top.
Sources & methodology
(Target income + expenses) ÷ billable hours. Pre-tax; set aside additional amounts for self-employment and income tax.
Learn more
Embed this calculator⌄
Paste this into your page — it works with no key and computes in the visitor's browser.
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