Hourly Rate Calculator
Stop guessing. Set your target income, dial in your real costs, and find a rate that pays the bills and the taxes.
What is a freelance hourly rate calculator? A freelance hourly rate calculator computes the minimum, recommended, and premium rates you need to charge based on your target annual income, billable hours, business expenses, benefits cost, self-employment tax buffer, and profit margin. Setting the right rate is the #1 factor in sustainable freelance income.
Your Numbers
Recommended Rate
$0/hr
Covers income, expenses, taxes, and a healthy margin.
Minimum
$0/hr
Covers costs + tax, no margin
Premium
/hr
Recommended × 1.3
Annual Billable Hours
0
Hours/week × weeks/year
Where Each Hour Goes
Reality Check
- Billable hours ≠ total work hours. Admin, marketing, and unpaid prep eat up real time.
- Tax buffer covers self-employment tax (~15.3% in US) plus federal/state income tax.
- Margin protects you from late payers, sick days, and bad months. Skip it at your peril.
- Premium rate is for high-value clients — strategic work, urgent deadlines, scope creep risk.
Related Reading
-
AI Proposal Generator 2026: Which One Actually Works?
6 AI proposal generators for freelancers, ranked honestly. Most produce detectable slop. Two are worth it.
-
Wave vs FreshBooks for Freelancers: Clear Winner (2026)
Wave is free, FreshBooks is $23/mo — pricing and feature comparison for freelance invoicing.
-
Toggl vs Harvest vs Clockify 2026: One to Skip
Real pricing on time trackers for freelancers — billable-hour data feeds straight into your rate.
-
HoneyBook vs Dubsado vs Bonsai vs Moxie: 2026 Verdict
Neutral CRM comparison with 2026 pricing — which client-management tool fits your rate model.
-
Contra vs Upwork for Freelancers 2026: The Verdict
Upwork raised its fee to 15%. Contra's 0% sounds better — here's the real math by freelance type.