Freelance hourly rate calculator
Work out the hourly rate you need to charge to hit your income goal, from the pay you want, your business costs, and the hours you actually bill. No signup, no spreadsheet.
Work out your hourly rate
Enter your target income and billable hours below. Your rate updates as you type.
- Take-home $60,000.00
- Expenses $6,000.00
- Bill $66,000.00/yr
Three steps to your rate
Enter the income you want
Set the take-home pay you want to earn in a year, the salary the work has to fund.
Add your costs and billable hours
Enter your yearly business expenses, the hours you actually bill each week, and the weeks you work.
Read off your hourly rate
The rate you need to charge appears instantly, along with the annual revenue it works out to.
Charging what the work is worth
A rate that only replaces your old salary leaves money on the table. Here’s what a freelance rate really has to cover.
Billable hours aren’t worked hours
You don’t bill 40 hours a week: admin, quoting, chasing invoices, and downtime all eat in. For most solo operators 20-30 billable hours a week is realistic. Divide by the hours you actually bill, not the hours you’re at the desk.
Charge for the whole business
Your rate has to cover software, gear, insurance, and unpaid time off, not just the pay you want. Add your yearly costs and a tax set-aside so the number reflects the real cost of doing the work, not a bare salary.
Treat it as a floor, then revisit
The result is the least you should charge, not a ceiling. Round it up to a tidy figure, nudge it higher as you get busier, and re-run the math whenever your costs or income goal change.
Skip the calculator. Cake does this for you on every invoice.
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