Decision tool
Freelance Rate Calculator
Minimum hourly, day, and retainer rates from target income, business expenses, and tax reserve.
Your inputs
Adjust the fields and review the result in this workbench.
Cite this calculator
Tax reserve is a simple percentage buffer, not a full tax projection.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Freelance Rate Calculator. (August 2026). Useful Tools Online. https://usefultoolsonline.com/freelance-rate-calculator/
Interpretation
Rate floor logic
Needed revenue = (income + expenses) × (1 + tax reserve). Divide by billable hours to get your floor rate before profit buffer.
Avoid mistakes
Common mistakes
A few things that can lead to misleading results or poor decisions.
Counting all work hours as billable.
Skipping health insurance and equipment in expenses.
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