🧑💻 Freelance Rate Calculator
Freelancers must cover taxes, software, equipment and unpaid time. This calculator turns your take-home goal into the rate you need to charge.
How the Freelance Rate Calculator works
Your take-home goal is grossed up for taxes, business expenses are added, and the total is divided by the hours you can actually bill in a year.
Step-by-step calculation
- 1Enter income goal, expenses and tax set-aside.
- 2Find revenue needed.
- 3Divide by billable hours per year.
Worked example
An $80,000 take-home goal, $10,000 of expenses, 25% set aside for tax, 48 working weeks and 25 billable hours a week: revenue needed about $116,667, rate about $97.22 an hour ($777.78 for an 8-hour day).
Freelance Rate Calculator examples
| Take-home income goal per year ($) | Hourly rate to charge |
|---|---|
| 40,000 | $52.78 / hour |
| 60,000 | $75.00 / hour |
| 80,000 | $97.22 / hour |
| 100,000 | $119.44 / hour |
| 120,000 | $141.67 / hour |
Other inputs kept at the calculator's default values. Results calculated by this calculator.
Why use a Freelance Rate Calculator?
Set a freelance rate that covers taxes and unpaid time.
Important factors that can affect your results
- Billable hours are fewer than worked hours.
- Self-employment tax.
- Market rates in your field.
Frequently asked questions
Why only 25 billable hours?
Freelancers spend a lot of time on admin, sales and learning that clients do not pay for.
What tax rate should I use?
In the US, many freelancers set aside 25–30% for income tax plus self-employment tax. Check with a tax professional.
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Last reviewed November 2026 · How we build and check our tools · Report a problem