Freelancer Rate Calculator
Figure out the hourly rate you need to charge to hit your target take-home income, accounting for taxes, expenses, and unbillable time.
Inputs
Required hourly rate
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Day rate (8 hours)
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Weekly revenue target
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Annual gross revenue needed
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Billable utilization
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About Freelancer Rate Calculator
Realistic billable hours
A full-time freelancer working 40h/week × 50 weeks has 2000 hours, but typically bills only 1200-1600. The rest goes to admin, marketing, learning, dead leads, and gaps between projects.
Why utilization matters
A higher hourly rate compensates for lower utilization. If you only bill 50% of your time, you need to double the rate vs a fully-utilized employee with the same target salary.
Pricing models
Hourly is easiest to negotiate but caps your upside. Project rates and value-based pricing scale better but require strong scoping. New freelancers usually start hourly and graduate to value-based.