CalcKitHow to Use the Hourly Rate Calculator
"What should I charge?" is the hardest freelance question — guess too low and you burn out; too high and you hear crickets. This calculator removes the guesswork: it works backwards from the annual income you want, divided by the hours you can actually bill, plus your costs.
Enter your target yearly income, realistic billable hours per week (not total work hours — admin, marketing and pitching aren't billable; 20–30 is typical), billable weeks per year (48 leaves room for holidays), and yearly expenses. Press Calculate My Rate for your minimum hourly rate, monthly target and day rate.
Three things beginners get wrong: counting all 40 hours as billable (you'll never bill 40), forgetting expenses and taxes (add 10–20% buffer), and anchoring to their old salary (freelancing has no paid leave, no employer benefits, no guaranteed pipeline — the rate must be higher).
Once you know your floor, quote project prices from it — and raise it as demand grows. Then bill it properly with our Invoice Generator.