Freelance Rate Calculator
Calculate a recommended freelance hourly rate based on your income goals, taxes, overhead, utilization, and a profit buffer. Export scenarios to CSV.
Include paid time off
Subtract PTO from working weeks
Hourly
$150.00
Billable hrs/yr: 1232
Daily (8h)
$1,200.00
Weekly (40h): $6,000.00
Tip
Utilization is usually the biggest lever. If you can only bill 50% of your hours, your hourly rate must be higher.
| Utilization | Billable hours | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 50.00% | 880 | $210.00 |
| 60.00% | 1056 | $175.00 |
| 70.00% | 1232 | $150.00 |
| 80.00% | 1408 | $131.25 |
| 90.00% | 1584 | $116.67 |
Our freelance rate calculator helps you estimate a sustainable hourly rate by factoring in taxes, overhead, utilization (billable time), and profit buffer. Adjust inputs to match your situation and market.
Common Use Cases
- ✓Pricing your services
Translate income goals and overhead into a practical hourly rate.
- ✓Utilization planning
Model how billable utilization impacts your hourly rate requirement.
- ✓Budgeting taxes and costs
Include taxes, overhead, and a profit buffer for a safer estimate.
- ✓Scenario modeling
Export utilization scenarios to compare options in a spreadsheet.
Key Features
Hourly, daily, and weekly rates
See the equivalent rates from the same target revenue model.
Utilization scenarios
View hourly rate recommendations across common utilization levels.
Copy + CSV export
Copy a summary and export scenarios to CSV.
Privacy-first
Runs in your browser—no sign-up and no data stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is billable utilization?
Billable utilization is the percent of your working hours you can actually bill to clients. Admin work, sales, meetings, and downtime reduce utilization.
How do taxes affect freelance rates?
Taxes reduce take-home income. This calculator treats taxes as a percentage of revenue needed to cover your take-home target.
Is daily/weekly rate just hourly multiplied?
This tool shows simple equivalents (8 hours/day, 40 hours/week). Many freelancers price projects differently depending on scope and risk.
How accurate is this?
It is a planning estimate. Real pricing depends on your market, value, demand, and contract structure.