⏰ Freelance Hourly Rate
What to charge based on your income goal
About this calculator
This calculator turns your income goal into an hourly rate you can quote with confidence. Enter your target annual income, realistic billable hours per week, weeks off per year, and annual business expenses like software, insurance, and home-office costs. It builds in a buffer for self-employment tax and unpaid downtime, which employees never have to think about.
The formula is simple division with honest inputs: (target income + expenses + taxes + profit buffer) divided by billable hours per year. Most freelancers overestimate billable time — 20 to 25 hours a week is realistic once admin, pitching, and marketing eat the rest.
Tip: Re-run this every six months. If you stay booked solid for weeks at a time, your rate is too low — raise it 10 to 15 percent and let demand calibrate you.