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Freelance Rate Calculator

Turn your target annual income into a fair hourly or day rate, accounting for time off and overhead.

Vacation, sick days, holidays
Freelancers rarely bill 40/week
Software, taxes, insurance
Buffer above break-even
Hourly Rate
$107.14/hr
Day Rate (8 hrs)
$857.14/day
Billable Weeks / Year
48
Total Billable Hours / Year
1200

This is a starting point, not gospel — cross-check it against what similar freelance developers charge in your market and niche, then adjust for your experience level and the value you deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start from your target annual income, then work backwards accounting for the hours you can actually bill (not 40/week — most freelancers bill 20-30 hours after admin, sales, and unpaid work), plus overhead like taxes, software, and insurance, and a profit margin on top. This calculator does that math for you.
Because freelancers don't bill 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Time goes to marketing, admin, client calls, revisions, and vacation. Most freelance developers realistically bill 20-30 hours/week and take 3-6 weeks off per year — dividing by the full 2,080 hours will leave you underpriced.
Overhead covers costs that don't come out of a client invoice directly: software subscriptions, self-employment/income tax set-asides, health insurance, accounting fees, coworking space, and equipment. A common starting estimate is 15-25% of revenue, but track your actual costs over a few months for accuracy.
Day rates work well for consulting-style engagements, workshops, or when clients want predictable daily costs. Hourly works better for smaller, variable-scope tasks. Many freelancers quote both and let the client's project shape choose — this calculator gives you a day rate as 8× your hourly rate as a reasonable starting anchor.
Revisit it at least once a year, and any time your expenses, tax bracket, or desired income change significantly. Rates should also rise as your skills and demand grow — many freelancers review pricing every 6-12 months or after landing a stronger portfolio of client results.