Enter your income goal, expenses, working time, and billable percentage to estimate hourly, daily, and project rates.
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Start with the income you need to cover
Your rate needs to support more than a desired salary. Add your target personal income to business expenses and an allowance for taxes or other obligations. The exact categories depend on your situation, so treat the result as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.
Estimate realistic billable hours
Freelancers rarely bill every working hour. Meetings, proposals, admin, marketing, learning, and unpaid revisions can consume time. Estimate working weeks per year, hours per week, and the percentage that is realistically billable.
The basic formula
A useful planning formula is: required annual revenue ÷ annual billable hours = target hourly rate. For example, if you need $72,000 in annual revenue and estimate 1,200 billable hours, the starting rate is $60 per billable hour.
Convert hourly rates into project pricing
Once you have an hourly benchmark, multiply it by expected project hours. Add expected expenses and a reasonable buffer for uncertainty. For fixed-price work, make sure the estimate accounts for communication, revisions, and project management rather than only production time.
Review your rate periodically
Track actual hours and revenue. If projects regularly take longer than estimated, your pricing model may need adjustment. Revisit your rate when expenses, demand, services, or the type of clients you serve changes.
How to Calculate Your Freelance Rate
Learn a practical way to turn your income goal, expenses, taxes, working time, and billable hours into an hourly freelance rate.