A designer
60,000 take-home, 6,000 costs, 25% tax, 40-hour weeks, 6 weeks off and 75% billable: 88,000 revenue over 1,380 billable hours is a minimum of 63.77 an hour or 510.14 a day.
Freelance Rate Calculator
Work out the hourly and day rate you need as a freelancer after costs, tax, time off and admin time.
Result
Enter your values and select Calculate to see the result.
Runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.
How the Freelance Rate Calculator works
Start from the take-home income you want, add your yearly business costs, and allow for tax. Then work out how many hours you can actually bill: freelancers lose time to holidays and sick days, and to admin, sales and learning that no client pays for. Dividing the revenue you need by those billable hours gives the minimum rate to charge.
Formulas
Revenue needed
(income + costs) ÷ (1 − tax rate)
Hourly rate
revenue needed ÷ ((52 − weeks off) × hours per week × billable share)
Examples
Why billable share matters
At 50% billable instead of 75%, the same income needs a 50% higher rate.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my rate so much higher than a salary?
Employers pay for holidays, equipment, pensions and quiet weeks. As a freelancer, your rate has to cover all of that.
Should I charge exactly this?
It's your floor. Price on the value you deliver and market rates for your skills.
Does it handle my country's taxes?
It uses a single average rate. Check your local rules or an accountant. Not tax advice.
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