Stop guessing what to charge.
RateCalc turns your income goal into a realistic hourly and day rate, with taxes, expenses, vacation, sick days, and non-billable time included.
Freelance rate calculator
Enter your target income and real working constraints.
Your target price floor
Breakdown
How to use this number
- • Treat this as your minimum sustainable rate, not your premium rate.
- • Raise the number for rush work, niche expertise, or outcomes-based projects.
- • If clients resist, fix positioning first. Discounting is usually the wrong move.
Reality check benchmarks
These aren’t promises. They’re directional examples to help sanity-check your result.
Newer freelancers or broad service offers competing on speed and reliability.
Strong portfolio, clear niche, decent pipeline, fewer commodity clients.
High-stakes problems, fast execution, proven outcomes, strategic advisory.
Set your target
Use the annual income you actually want to take home, not the number that feels safe.
Account for reality
Taxes, admin work, holidays, and downtime are what make most freelancers undercharge.
Price with confidence
Take the output and package it into day rates, retainers, or outcome-based proposals.
FAQ
No. It’s your minimum sustainable baseline. Strong positioning, niche expertise, and higher-stakes projects justify higher pricing.
Because freelancers rarely bill 8 clean hours a day. Admin, calls, marketing, and revisions eat time. Ignoring that is how rates get too low.
Yes. The calculator gives both hourly and day-rate outputs so you can price whichever way fits your service.
Designers, developers, writers, marketers, consultants, and any solo service business that sells time or expertise.
Know your floor. Charge above it.
Use RateCalc to get grounded, then package your offer around the value you create.