Freelance Rate Calculator
Find out what you should really charge. Enter your income goal, costs and working hours, and get a recommended hourly, day and project rate in your own currency. Free, no sign-up, accurate to your taxes and billable time.
What you want to keep after taxes and expenses.
Software, equipment, insurance, accounting, coworking — your yearly costs.
Vacation, public holidays and sick days. Most freelancers plan about 4.
Advanced options▾
Share of working hours you can actually bill. Admin, sales and marketing eat the rest — 50–70% is realistic.
Your effective tax rate. It varies by country — enter your own. We use it to gross up your rate so your take-home matches your goal.
A buffer for slow months, growth and savings. 15–20% is common.
Optional — estimate a fixed project fee.
What you actually earn per hour worked, once non-billable time is counted.
Use this rate in Minteo: track billable hours, generate a completion act or invoice, and export it to PDF — free forever.
Estimates only. Rates depend on your market, experience and negotiation. Always sense-check the numbers for your situation.
How the freelance rate calculator works
Setting a rate is not salary ÷ 2,080. You only bill part of your time, you carry your own costs and taxes, and you need a margin to stay in business. Here is the formula we use:
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1. Count your real billable hours
We take 52 weeks minus your weeks off, multiply by your weekly hours, then by your billable percentage. Most freelancers land at 1,000–1,400 billable hours a year — not 2,080.
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2. Add income and costs
Your desired take-home income plus your yearly business expenses gives the revenue your work must cover.
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3. Gross up for tax
We divide by (1 − your tax rate) so the money left after tax still matches the income you wanted.
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4. Add a profit margin
A 15–20% buffer covers slow months, growth, and the cost of running your own business.
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5. Get hourly, day and project rates
Revenue ÷ billable hours = your hourly rate. Multiply by billable hours per day for a day rate, or by estimated hours for a fixed project fee.
Why your "effective" rate is lower
If you bill 60% of your time, every hour you actually work earns less than your headline rate. The calculator shows this effective hourly rate so you price with eyes open — and don't undercharge.
Common freelance pricing mistakes
- Dividing an old salary by 2,080 hours — that ignores taxes, costs and unbillable time.
- Forgetting the non-billable hours spent on admin, sales and marketing.
- Not setting tax money aside, then being surprised by the bill.
- Charging with no profit margin, so one slow month wipes out the year.
Hourly, day, project or retainer?
Hourly
Simple and fair for open-ended or changing work. Best when scope is unclear.
Day rate
Good for focused, full-day work like workshops or sprints.
Project / fixed fee
Clients love certainty. Price it from your hourly rate × estimated hours, plus a risk buffer.
Retainer
Steady monthly income for ongoing work — your most predictable revenue.
Freelance rate calculator FAQ
How do I calculate my freelance hourly rate?
Add your target take-home income and yearly business costs, divide by the hours you can actually bill in a year, gross up for tax, and add a profit margin. This calculator does all of that for you in your own currency.
Why can't I just divide my salary by 2,080 hours?
Because you don't bill 2,080 hours. After holidays, admin, sales and marketing, most freelancers bill 1,000–1,400 hours a year — and unlike an employee, you also pay your own taxes, tools and time off.
How many billable hours can a freelancer realistically work?
Usually 1,000–1,400 per year. A realistic target is 20–30 billable hours a week; trying to bill 40+ leads to burnout and no time for running the business.
What is a good billable percentage?
Most freelancers bill 50–70% of their working time. The rest goes to admin, proposals, invoicing, learning and finding clients. We default to 60%.
How much should I set aside for taxes?
It depends entirely on your country and tax regime. Enter your own effective rate; many freelancers reserve roughly 25–30%, but always check your local rules.
Should I add a profit margin to my rate?
Yes. A 15–20% margin covers slow months, equipment, growth and savings. Without it, you only ever break even.
How do I turn my hourly rate into a day or project rate?
Multiply your hourly rate by billable hours per day for a day rate. For a fixed project, multiply by the estimated hours and add a buffer for revisions and risk.
Is the calculator free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up. If you want to track your billable hours, send invoices or completion acts and export them to PDF, you can do that free in Minteo too.