Freelance hourly rate calculator
Most freelancers set their rate by guessing and end up undercharging. This calculator works backwards from the income you actually want to take home, accounting for taxes, business expenses, unbillable time, and vacation, to show the hourly rate that gets you there.
Tip: most full-time freelancers realistically bill 20–30 hours per week, with the rest going to finding clients, admin, and email. US freelancers typically owe 25–35% in combined taxes.
You should charge at least
$100.00/hour
That's about $800.00 per full day.
FreelanceFlow turns tracked hours into invoices in one click.
Frequently asked questions
Start with your target take-home income, add the taxes and business expenses you'll pay on top of it, then divide by your real billable hours: billable hours per week times working weeks per year. That's the formula this calculator runs for you.
Because you now cover both halves of self-employment tax, your own equipment, software, insurance, and, most importantly, all the unbillable hours spent on marketing, admin, and proposals. A common rule of thumb is that a sustainable freelance rate is 1.5–2x the equivalent employee hourly wage.
Most full-time freelancers bill 20–30 hours per week, not 40. Client work competes with finding clients, invoicing, email, and admin. If you plug in 40 billable hours, you'll calculate a rate that looks fine on paper but burns you out in practice.
Your hourly rate is the foundation either way. For project pricing, estimate the hours, multiply by your rate, then add a buffer for revisions and scope creep. Tracking your actual hours per project tells you whether your fixed prices are profitable.
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Track every billable minute without the hassle
Learn moreKnow your rate?
Now get paid on time, every time.
Track your hours, turn them into invoices at your new rate, and let clients pay online. Free forever on the starter plan.
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