What is your freelance rate worth?

This calculator works out the hourly rate you need to reach a target income. It accounts for billable hours, holidays, unpaid admin time, taxes and business overhead, so the number reflects reality rather than a wish.

How it works

Enter a target annual income, your working weeks and billable hours per week, plus an estimate for taxes and overhead. The calculator divides the required revenue by real billable hours to give a base hourly rate.

Worked example

Targeting $60,000 a year with 46 working weeks and 25 billable hours a week (1,150 billable hours) implies about $52/hour before tax and overhead; adding 25% taxes and $6,000 overhead raises it to roughly $70/hour.

Assumptions

Results are estimates based on the figures you enter. The calculator does not store your data.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my calculated rate higher than I expected?

Because only billable hours earn; admin, marketing and holidays do not. Most freelancers bill 50–60% of the hours they work.

Does it handle different currencies?

The tool is currency-agnostic — enter your figures in whatever currency you bill in.

Written and maintained by Swishr Desk team. Last updated 2026-10-20.