Freelance Rate Calculator
Find your minimum viable freelance rate · set your income goal, realistic billable hours, and business expenses to see exactly what to…
Freelance Rate & USD Invoice Toolkit
Find your hourly rate, price projects, compare W-2 salaries, and generate free client invoices.
Income Goal
52 minus vacation/sick weeks
Admin, sales, downtime eat the rest
Business Expenses (Annual)
Tax & Profit Buffer
SE tax ~15.3% + income tax. US: ~30% typical
Add margin for scope creep and business growth
How to Use This Calculator
Formula:
Minimum Hourly Rate = [(Target Take-Home + Annual Business Expenses) ÷ (1 − Effective Tax Rate)] ÷ (Weeks Worked × Weekly Hours × Billable %)
- On the 'Find My Rate' tab, enter your Target Annual Take-Home ($), Weeks Worked per Year (52 minus vacation and sick weeks), Work Hours per Week, and realistic Billable % of Work Time.
- Input your annual Business Expenses across Health Insurance, Software & Tools, and Other Expenses (accounting, hardware depreciation, marketing, insurance).
- Set your Effective Tax Rate (%) to cover combined income and self-employment taxes, plus a Rate Buffer / Profit Margin (%) for growth and scope risk.
- Review your Minimum Hourly Rate, Recommended Rate with buffer, Annual Revenue Needed, and click 'Rate Sensitivity Analysis' to compare 40%–80% billable scenarios.
- Switch to 'Project Pricing' to convert estimated project hours and scope buffers into a flat client quote, or 'Salary Comparison' to benchmark freelancing against a full-time W-2 offer.