Freelance Rate Calculator

Most freelance rate calculators just divide a salary by 2,080 hours. This one works backward from what you actually need to earn, accounting for vacation, sick days, non-billable admin time, business expenses, and profit margin.

Target annual income ($)

Annual business expenses ($)Software, insurance, equipment, co-working, etc.

Vacation weeks/year

Sick/personal days

Non-billable time (%)Admin, invoicing, marketing, prospecting

Profit margin (%)

$70

Hourly Rate

$564

Day Rate (8hr)

You need to earn $108,235 total to hit your income goal after expenses and margin.

That's spread across 1536 billable hours over 240 working days.

This is a planning estimate, not financial advice. It doesn't account for taxes, which vary significantly by location and filing status.