Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Stop guessing your prices. Calculate exactly what you need to charge per hour to hit your income goals and cover your expenses.
Calculate Your Freelance Rate
Target Take-Home Pay (Annual)
Business Expenses (Annual)
Software, internet, insurance, etc.
Billable Hours per Week
*Admin/marketing are non-billable
Weeks Off per Year
Vacation, sick days, holidays
Gross Revenue Target —
Total Billable Hours/Yr —
Minimum Hourly Rate —
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate a freelance hourly rate?
To calculate your freelance hourly rate, add your desired annual take-home pay to your annual business expenses to get your Gross Revenue Target. Then, subtract your weeks of vacation from 52 to find your working weeks. Multiply working weeks by your billable hours per week to get Total Billable Hours. Finally, divide your Gross Revenue Target by your Total Billable Hours.
Why shouldn't I use 40 billable hours per week?
Freelancers rarely bill 40 hours a week because you must spend time on unpaid administrative tasks like marketing, pitching, accounting, and email. A healthy average for a full-time freelancer is 20 to 25 billable hours per week.
What should I include in business expenses?
Include anything you need to run your business: software subscriptions (Adobe, SaaS), internet, health insurance, taxes, home office equipment, legal fees, and marketing costs.
Last updated: June 2025