Rates, retainers, invoices, late payments, cash-flow cushions, contracts — type your question and get a straight answer in seconds. The full detailed report costs less than a cup of coffee: $2.95.
Most freelancers set their rates the wrong way round: they pick a number that sounds reasonable, then discover months later that it does not cover their tax, their tools or the weeks when no one is paying them. This calculator works backwards from the one number that actually matters — the take-home income you need to live on — and builds the rate up from there. It folds in three things that quietly sink underpriced freelancers: the tax you must set aside before you ever see the money, the overheads of running the business, and the hard truth that only a fraction of your working week is ever billable. The result is an honest hourly rate and the project price that follows from it.
Work backwards from the income you actually want: this calculator turns a desired take-home salary into an honest hourly rate — with tax set-aside, overheads and non-billable time built in.
Mostly because they divide a salary by forty hours and forget the gaps: tax set-aside, overheads, and the fact that only 50-70% of working time is billable once admin, marketing and unpaid emails are counted. Rate-setting from a target income fixes all three at once.
A common starting estimate for self-employed people is 25-35% of income depending on your country and situation — income tax plus self-employment tax where it applies. A local accountant or tax adviser can give you the exact figure for where you live.
Both should come from the same honest hourly rate. Quote fixed prices when the scope is clear and you have built in a buffer for revisions; bill hourly when the work is open-ended. The rate calculator gives you the floor for either.
Every tool answers instantly from our own knowledge and calculators — no AI wait, no account. Want the deeper, personalised version? Each has a $2.95 full report.