Freelance Rate Calculator
Most freelancers undercharge because they divide a salary by 2,080 hours and forget about taxes, time off, and all the unpaid hours spent on admin and finding clients. This free tool does the honest math: enter your target income and it shows the hourly and day rate you actually need to hit it.
"Billable hours/day" is key: a full-time freelancer rarely bills 8 hours — much of the day goes to admin, pitching, and breaks. 4–6 is realistic.
How to use your number
The hourly figure is your floor — the minimum to hit your goal. Quote per project (not hourly) wherever you can, using this rate to estimate, and move toward value-based pricing as you build proof. Full guide: how to price your freelance services.
Then win the work with a tight proposal, and land your first clients with this guide. To handle proposals, agreements, and getting paid, the Freelancer's Client Toolkit has every template done for you.
Once the work's coming in, track income, expenses, profit and tax set-aside with our Business & Freelancer Income & Expense Tracker (Excel / Google Sheets) — and see freelancer bookkeeping made simple.