Freelance Rate Calculator
Work out the hourly rate you need to charge to hit your income goal — after expenses, taxes, and the hours you can actually bill.
For guidance only — your real rate also depends on your market, experience, and the value you deliver. Treat this as the floor, not the ceiling.
Result
PaidPilot tracks every invoice and chases unpaid ones for you with polite, escalating reminders — so the rate you set is the rate you collect. Open the full app, free →
Freelance rate FAQ
How do I set my freelance hourly rate?
Start from the take-home income you want, add your yearly business expenses, then gross it up for taxes. Divide that total by the hours you can realistically bill in a year — not the hours you're awake. That's the minimum you need to charge to hit your goal. Round up: you can always justify a higher number more easily than you can claw one back.
Should I charge hourly or per project?
Use your hourly rate as the foundation either way. Hourly is simple and fair when scope is open-ended or unpredictable. Per-project (value-based) pricing usually earns more, because you're paid for the result rather than your speed — estimate the hours, apply your rate, then add margin for risk and value. As you get faster, fixed pricing rewards you instead of penalizing you.
How many billable hours are realistic?
Far fewer than 40. Admin, sales, invoicing, email, and breaks all eat into the week, so most full-time freelancers bill 20–30 hours. Working ~48 weeks a year (leaving room for holidays and slow periods) is a safer planning number than 52. Be honest here — overestimating billable hours is the most common reason freelancers underprice themselves.