Use your real income target, operating costs, estimated taxes, time off, and billable capacity to calculate a sustainable pricing floor. All amounts are shown in U.S. dollars.
Set your pricing floor
Estimate a realistic hourly, daily, retainer, and project rate based on how your freelance business actually operates.
At 1,056 billable hours per year, this rate is designed to cover the assumptions entered on this page.
How to use this number
Treat the calculated hourly rate as your pricing floor. For clearly scoped work, consider converting it into a project, day, or retainer price.
See how the freelance rate math works →The practical math
Why your billable capacity matters
A forty-hour workweek rarely produces forty billable hours. Freelancers also spend time finding clients, writing proposals, handling administration, and improving their services. This tool divides the revenue you need by the hours you can realistically invoice—not every hour you work.
Your result is a starting point, not a universal market price. Compare it with the value of the outcome, the complexity of the work, your experience, and what qualified clients are willing to pay.