Hourly Rate Calculator for Freelancers

Your hourly rate is what your year costs divided by the hours you can actually bill. This page focuses on the per-hour number — project rate lives here if that is what you need.

Your numbers

Everything runs in your browser. Adjust any field and the rate updates instantly.

Target yearly income (take-home)What you want to keep after tax, per yearYearly business expensesSoftware, equipment, insurance, workspaceTax rate (%)A formula input only — not tax adviceBillable hours per weekHours you can actually bill clientsWorking weeks per yearUsually 46-52Unpaid time off (weeks)Vacation, sick days, slow monthsAverage project hoursEnter 0 to skip the project rate

Why billable hours beat a 40-hour week

A salaried week is mostly billable; a freelance week is not. Admin, invoicing, marketing and revisions all come out of the same calendar. Many freelancers find only 20-30 hours a week are truly billable — which is exactly why dividing your income goal by 2,080 hours a year understates your real rate. Set your own billable hours above and let the formula do the honest math.