Freelance True Hourly Rate Calculator

Inputs

Use realistic annual assumptions. The calculator updates live as you type.

Client hourly rate ($)

Your advertised or invoiced hourly rate.

Weekly billable hours

Hours you can actually invoice clients each week.

Total weekly work hours

Includes admin, sales, proposals, bookkeeping, meetings, etc.

Vacation + sick weeks/year

Unpaid time off you want to account for.

Income tax rate (%)

Federal/state blended estimate. Self-employment tax is added automatically.

Retirement contribution (%)

Percent of gross revenue you set aside for retirement.

Monthly business expenses ($)

Software, coworking, equipment, subscriptions, accounting, marketing, etc.

Monthly health insurance ($)

Your out-of-pocket healthcare premium cost.

Tip: If your true hourly rate feels low, the biggest levers are usually raising your rate, increasing billable utilization, reducing unpaid admin time, or planning taxes more accurately.

True hourly rate

$0.00

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Annual take-home

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Employee equivalent salary

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Billable utilization

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Annual income breakdown

Where your gross freelance revenue actually goes.

Take-home: $0

Taxes: $0

Business expenses: $0

Benefits/retirement: $0

Gross annual revenue	$0
Annual business expenses	$0
Annual health insurance	$0
Retirement contribution	$0
Self-employment tax (15.3%)	$0
Income tax	$0
Estimated take-home pay	$0

Interpretation

A quick read on what these numbers mean for your pricing.

Posted client rate	$0
Effective hourly before taxes	$0
True hourly after all costs	$0
Unpaid hours per week	0
Working weeks per year	0
Revenue lost to non-billable time	$0