Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator
Find the hourly rate you need to charge to hit your income goal — accounting for the time that never gets billed.
Billable percentage accounts for time spent on admin, marketing, and finding clients — most freelancers bill 60-80% of their working hours, not 100%.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't 100% of my time billable?
Freelancers spend real time on proposals, client communication, admin, invoicing, and finding new work — none of which is billed directly. Most freelancers bill 60-80% of their working hours, not all of them.
Should I charge hourly or a fixed project rate?
This calculator gives you a baseline hourly rate; many freelancers then convert that into fixed project quotes by estimating hours per project, which also protects you if a project runs efficiently.
Does this rate include business expenses?
No — this calculates the rate needed to hit a personal income target. If you have significant business expenses (software, equipment, coworking space), add those to your desired income before calculating.