Freelance Rate Calculator

This is a simple calculator to help you determine your freelance rate. It is not exact in any way, it's intended as a rough guide.

by @pauldevay

Desired Take Home Pay

The amount of money you'd like to have each month after taxes and benefits.

Average Weekly Hours

The hours you work on billable projects in a given week, as opposed to day-drinking. Note that time needed to secure new projects should not be included.

Est. Total Income Tax Rate

Typical self-employed income tax is 35%. If you pay state taxes figure out the rate and add to 35%.

Vacation Days (Not including weekends)

The hours for days off are taken out of your yearly pool are calculated based on Weekly Hours above.

Monthly Benefit Cost

The amount you intend to pay for health insurance, dental, and whatever other benefits you won't get from an employer.

Hourly Rate

Max Rent

This is simply 30% of your take-home pay, which is the recommended max for rent in order to appropriately save money.

Equiv. Salary

Equivalent salary is rough...it's based on an average middle-class 23% tax rate and is based entirely on take home pay. This means hours/week, vacation days, and benefits are all removed from the equation since they vary. Tax beyond 35% is added for people not in Texas or Washington.