Freelance Rate Calculator
Calculate your true hourly rate. Account for taxes, expenses, and the profit you deserve.
How to calculate your freelance rate
Most freelancers undercharge because they only consider their desired salary. The real calculation must include taxes, business expenses, non-billable time, and profit margin. If you want to take home $80,000, you need to charge significantly more.
Why billable hours matter
You do not bill 40 hours a week. Admin, sales, learning, and breaks eat into that. Realistic billable hours are usually 20-30 per week. If you assume 40 billable hours but only achieve 25, your income drops by 37%. Be conservative in your estimates.
What is a good freelance hourly rate?
It depends on your skill, location, and niche. Junior developers might start at $50-75/hr. Mid-level specialists charge $100-150/hr. Experts and consultants can command $200-500+/hr. The key is value-based positioning: what result do you deliver, not what task do you perform?
Should you charge hourly or project-based?
Hourly billing caps your income (there are only so many hours). Project-based or value-based pricing aligns incentives with the client and lets you earn more as you get faster. Use this calculator to find your minimum hourly floor, then price projects at 2-3x that rate based on value delivered.