Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Enter your income goal, business expenses, working weeks and hours, and how much of your time is actually billable, to get three hourly rate tiers plus a quick project quote.
Minimum survival rate
$58.04/hr
Covers income + expenses only
Sustainable rate
$66.74/hr
Minimum x 1.15 buffer
Recommended market rate
$86.76/hr
Sustainable x 1.3 buffer
The sustainable and recommended tiers are modest, clearly-labeled rule-of-thumb buffers (not researched market data) meant to cover slow periods, taxes and growth - adjust based on your own market.
Project quote calculator
At minimum rate
$1,160.71
At sustainable rate
$1,334.82
At recommended rate
$1,735.27
Preguntas frecuentes
What's the formula behind the minimum rate?
Minimum hourly rate = (desired annual income + annual business expenses) / (working weeks x hours per week x billable utilization %). It's straightforward math, not an AI-generated or market-researched number, so it's only as accurate as the inputs you give it.
What is "billable utilization" and why does it matter so much?
It's the share of your working hours that are actually billed to clients, the rest goes to admin, marketing, invoicing, learning and downtime. Most freelancers bill well under 100% of their time, a 70% default is a common starting assumption, but track your own hours if you can for a more accurate number.
Why are there three rate tiers instead of one number?
The minimum rate only covers your stated income and expenses with no room for slow months, taxes or growth. The sustainable and recommended tiers add modest, clearly-labeled buffer multipliers (1.15x and 1.3x respectively) on top, they're rule-of-thumb cushions, not researched market rates, so treat them as a starting point to sanity-check against what others in your field actually charge.