Freelance Rate Calculator — What to Charge
A freelance rate calculator works out the hourly rate you need to charge. Start from the take-home pay you want, add your business costs and taxes, then divide by the hours you can actually bill — because a freelancer's year is not 2,080 billable hours.
How it works
- Enter the yearly take-home pay you want and your annual business expenses.
- Enter your billable hours per week and weeks off — most freelancers bill 1,000 to 1,400 hours a year.
- Enter your effective tax rate and any platform fee. Your minimum hourly rate, day rate and monthly revenue appear instantly.
Formula
Worked example
Want $60,000 a year to keep, with $6,000 of business expenses, billing 25 hours a week for 48 weeks (1,200 billable hours) at a 25% effective tax rate. You need $88,000 of gross revenue a year — $7,333.33 a month — which means charging at least $73.33 an hour, or $586.67 for an 8-hour day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my freelance hourly rate?
Add your target take-home pay and business expenses, divide by (1 − your tax rate) to get the gross revenue you need, then divide by your billable hours for the year. The calculator above does it for you.
How many billable hours are in a year?
A full-time year is 2,080 hours, but after holidays, admin, pitching and learning, most freelancers bill 1,000 to 1,400 hours. At 25 billable hours a week for 48 weeks, that is 1,200 hours.
What tax rate should a freelancer use?
Self-employed workers pay 15.3% self-employment tax on top of income tax, so 25% to 32% of net earnings going to tax is typical in the US. Use your own effective rate if you know it.
What is a good hourly rate for a freelancer?
It depends on your field and experience. In 2026, entry-level freelancers often charge $25–$50 an hour, mid-level $60–$100, and senior specialists $100–$250. Your minimum rate from this calculator is your floor, not your market price.
Should I charge a day rate instead?
A day rate is just your hourly rate times 8. Clients often prefer it for larger jobs, and it protects you from days that stretch. The calculator shows both.
How do platform fees change my rate?
If a platform takes 20%, you keep 80 cents of every dollar, so divide your gross needed by 0.80. On the $60,000 example, a 20% platform fee would push the minimum rate from $73.33 to $91.67 an hour.