Rate Calculator: what you should actually charge.

This rate calculator turns your income goal, expenses, taxes and unbillable hours into your true freelance hourly rate — so the number you quote actually pays you what you set out to earn.

Your income goal

Take-home you want this yearWhat you'd like left in your pocket — before business taxes & costs.$

Costs & taxes

Business expenses per yearSoftware, subscriptions, gear, insurance, fees.$

Tax set-asideIncome + self-employment tax you keep aside.25%

Your time

Hours you work per weekAll work hours — billable or not.40hrs

Weeks off per yearVacation, holidays, sick days — time you don't earn.6wks

Billable share of your workThe rest goes to admin, sales, invoicing, learning.60%

Your real hourly rate

$80/ hr

to hit your goal on billable hours alone

The reality gap

2.4× higher

What most people assume (goal ÷ all hours)$33

What actually pays the bills$80

Where your year goes

Out of 52 weeks, only a slice is actually billable.

Billable

Admin

Off

1,104 billable hrs 736 unbillable hrs 240 hrs off

Every hour you bill

…splits roughly like this.

You keep

$54

68% of the rate

Costs

7% of the rate

Tax

$20

25% of the rate

Suggested day rate

$638 / day

Revenue you must invoice

$88,000 / yr

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Built by SaasLancer · A rate floor, not a promise — round up for the work you love.