Setting a freelance rate feels like guessing — but it's arithmetic. Work backwards from the income you actually want, account for taxes and the hours you don't bill, and the number reveals itself.
Backwards from your target
Your rate must cover three things: the income you want to keep, the taxes on it, and your business expenses. Start with the target and work up — a rate set by gut feeling usually ends up too low, because it ignores these layers.
The billable-hours reality
A 40-hour week is not 40 billable hours. Emails, quotes, accounting and marketing consume a big slice. Pricing against realistic billable hours is what separates sustainable freelance rates from burnout-priced ones.
Rates are not fixed
Your rate should rise as your skills and reputation do. The calculator is a floor, not a ceiling — premium rates for rush work, specialized projects and high-value clients are standard practice, and worth asking for.
Frequently asked questions
Start from your target annual income, gross it up for taxes, add expenses, then divide by your billable hours. This calculator does all of it from your inputs.
30 per week is a solid estimate — the rest goes to admin, marketing and unpaid work. Very few freelancers sustain 40+ billable hours weekly.
Raising your rate scales income without burning out. If you regularly exceed 40 billable hours a week, your rate is likely too low.