Freelance Rate & Salary Calculator
Stop undercharging. Calculate your true hourly and daily consulting rates based on real billable capacity, taxes, insurance, software overhead, and desired annual take-home salary.
Recommended Hourly Rate
$0/hr
Includes 20% buffer for bench time
Minimum Break-Even Rate
$0/hr
Covers exact salary + costs
Recommended Day Rate
$0/day
Based on standard 8-hour day
Annual Gross Revenue
$0
Total billing target
Income & Overhead Settings
$
$
$
Suggested Quote Rate
$95.00/hr
Bill ~26 hours/week to achieve your $95,000 take-home goal
Annual Gross Revenue Allocation
Desired Net Take-Home
$95,000
Estimated Taxes (SE + Income)
$36,944
Annual Business Overhead
$8,000
Health Insurance & Healthcare
$6,000
Bench Buffer (Slow periods / unpaid invoices)
$29,189
Target Total Billings
$175,133
Time Capacity Breakdown
Total Working Hours / Year (40h/wk)
1,920 hrs
Actual Billable Client Hours
1,248 hrs
Non-Billable Admin & Sales Hours
672 hrs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I just divide my salary by 2,000 hours?
Dividing annual salary by 2,080 hours (40 hrs × 52 weeks) is the most common mistake new freelancers make. That formula assumes you never take holidays, never get sick, pay zero self-employment taxes (employers usually pay half of FICA), have zero software costs, and spend 100% of your time on client billable work. In reality, freelancers spend 25–40% of their work week on client outreach, marketing, and admin.
What is the "Bench Buffer" recommendation?
Freelancing has natural feast-or-famine cycles. A 20% safety margin ensures you maintain your income during seasonal slow periods (like December/August), unpaid invoice delays, or project handoffs.