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Freelance rate calculator: day rate and hourly rate

Enter the net income you want to pay yourself over the year, your working days, your expenses and your tax and contribution rate: the tool works out the revenue you need, your day rate and your hourly rate.

Billable days

Annual business expenses

Social contributions and self-employment taxes

Enter the rate that applies to your status: depending on the country and the setup, all contributions together range from about a fifth to nearly half of profit, and some simplified schemes charge them on revenue. These are rough orders of magnitude, not official rates: check yours with the agency you report to.

Where your revenue goes

    Net income from a given rate

    Enter a day rate: the tool estimates your net annual income with the same days, expenses and contributions.

    Rough estimate with no official rates built in: this tool gives no tax or accounting advice. For your own situation, ask an accountant or the relevant tax agency.

    Your entries stay saved on this device.

    Set your rate from the income you want to keep

    This calculator starts from your “Target net annual income”: what you keep after business expenses and social contributions, before income tax. It returns the “Annual revenue needed”, the “Minimum day rate” and the “Hourly rate”. A second part works backwards from a day rate you already charge or plan to quote.

    Why you can't just divide a salary by 2,080 hours

    An employee on $60,000 earns $28.85 an hour over 2,080 paid hours, holidays and sick days included. A freelancer is only paid for hours spent on client work. Vacation, sales calls, training and sick days are covered by the other days, and so are the laptop, the insurance, the accountant and self-employment taxes. Quote $28.85 an hour and you end up far below the income you had in mind.

    How to use it

    1. Type your “Target net annual income”. The “Net monthly equivalent” appears in the results.
    2. Under “Billable days”, pick the “Year”: the tool counts Mondays to Fridays, 261 in 2026. Subtract “Public holidays on weekdays”, “Vacation days”, “Training, sales and admin (days)” and “Expected sick days”, then set the “Utilization rate (%)”.
    3. Fill in the “Annual business expenses”: equipment, software, office, insurance, accountant, travel.
    4. Enter the “Overall contribution rate (%)” and choose whether it applies to “profit (revenue minus expenses)” or to “revenue”.
    5. Add a “Safety margin (%)” if you want one, choose USD, GBP or EUR, then “Copy link” to keep the calculation.

    The method, with an exact example

    When contributions are charged on profit, the revenue you need is expenses + income ÷ (1 − rate). When they are charged on revenue, it is (income + expenses) ÷ (1 − rate).

    Example: a target of $60,000, $8,000 of expenses and 30% on profit. $60,000 ÷ 0.7 = $85,714.29, plus $8,000 gives $93,714.29 of revenue. In 2026, 261 weekdays minus 9 public holidays, 20 vacation days, 15 days of sales and admin and 5 sick days leave 212 billable days. The minimum day rate is $93,714.29 ÷ 212 = $442.05, or $55.26 an hour at 8 billable hours a day. Contributions come to $25,714.29, and the chart “Where your revenue goes” shows 64.02% net income, 27.44% contributions and 8.54% expenses.

    Realistic billable days

    Few freelancers fill every available day: gaps between contracts, proposals that fall through, projects that slip. At a “Utilization rate (%)” of 80%, the 212 days drop to 169.6 and the day rate climbs to $552.56. The “Safety margin (%)” adds a cushion on top of the revenue for a late payment or a slow quarter.

    Expenses to budget for

    Hardware you will replace, software and subscriptions, phone and internet, a desk in a shared office, professional liability and health insurance, bookkeeping, bank fees, travel and conferences. Every dollar of expenses has to be billed before any of it becomes income.

    Contributions depend on your status

    The rate depends on where you work and how you are set up: sole proprietor, single-member company, contractor through an agency. Some systems charge contributions on revenue, most on profit. The tool holds no tax tables: take your rate from your national tax agency (the IRS in the United States, HMRC in the United Kingdom) or from your accountant.

    Positioning your rate

    The result is a floor, not a price. Compare it with what people in your field and region charge, then factor in experience, how rare your skills are and the value you bring to the client. Below the floor, you are working at a loss.

    Day rate or hourly rate?

    Day rates are common in consulting and contract development; hourly rates suit short jobs and support work. The “Hourly rate” divides the day rate by the “Billable hours per day”. The section “Net income from a given rate” answers the reverse question: at $500 a day over 212 days, revenue reaches $106,000, contributions $29,400 and net income $68,600, or $5,716.67 a month.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does the target income include income tax?

    No. It is before income tax, so set money aside for your tax bill on top of it.

    Why is the monthly figure just divided by 12?

    Because you smooth your own income: busy months pay for vacation and quiet ones.

    Which contribution rate should I enter?

    The one that applies to your status, from the agency you report to or your accountant. The note under the field gives rough orders of magnitude, not official figures.

    Are my entries saved?

    They stay on this device, and “Copy link” creates an address that reopens the calculation.