Freelance hourly rate calculator: what should you charge?
A rate based on what “feels right” often leaves out tax, holidays and the hours you cannot bill. Enter your goals and your real working pattern to see the rate that actually gets you there.
A planning aid, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Your figures are calculated in your browser. If you enter your e-mail to see the results, we store it together with the figures you entered.
How it is calculated
- Revenue needed per year = (annual fixed costs + annual take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate)) × (1 + safety buffer).
- Billable hours per year = (52 − weeks off) × hours per week × (1 − non-billable share).
- Hourly rate = revenue needed ÷ billable hours. The day rate assumes 8 billable hours.
- Rates are before VAT. Add VAT on top if you charge it.
Do this automatically in Frusma
Frusma tracks your real hours per project and shows the revenue per hour you actually earn, so you can compare it with this target rate.
Questions
Why are non-billable hours included?
Sales, admin, learning and bookkeeping take time you cannot invoice. Many freelancers can bill only 50 to 75% of their working hours, which pushes the needed rate up.
How many weeks off should I enter?
Add holidays, public holidays, sick days and slow weeks. Six weeks is a common starting point in Europe.
What is the safety buffer?
A margin for late payments, unpaid proposals and slow months. Ten percent is a modest buffer; more if your income is uneven.
Should I charge hourly at all?
The result is a floor to compare against. Many freelancers use it to set day rates or fixed project prices that stay above it.