Freelance Rate Calculator: Set Your Real Hourly Rate

~/codetalenthub/tools/rate_calculator.sh

free tool

Freelance Rate Calculator

Work backward from the income you actually need to the hourly, daily, and project rate that gets you there — expenses, taxes, unbillable time, and a buffer all included.

01 · Inputs

Target annual take-home after tax, after expenses

Currency

Annual business expenses software, insurance, gear

Effective tax rate 28%

Working weeks per year 46

Billable hours per week actual client-paid hours, not desk time

hrs

Buffer for slow months & late payers 15%

02 · Output

Minimum hourly rate

Charge less than this and you’re funding the client’s project out of your own pocket.

Day rate

Week rate

Month rate

billable_hours_per_year—

gross_revenue_required—

covers_expensestrue

covers_tax_liabilitytrue

rate_vs_40hr_fulltime_equiv—

How this is calculated: desired take-home + annual expenses is grossed up for your tax rate to get required revenue, then divided by realistic billable hours (working weeks × billable hours/week — not a 40-hour week, since admin, sales, and unpaid time always eat into it), then a buffer is added on top for slow months and late invoices. This is a planning estimate, not tax or financial advice — run your real numbers by an accountant before setting contract rates.