Freelance rate calculator
The daily rate that actually pays your target income.
- Instant
- Free
- Private (processed locally)
- No sign-up
The daily rate that does not impoverish you
The classic beginner mistake: dividing a monthly salary by 20 days. The result is a rate that forgets taxes, vacations, prospecting and expenses — and a year of working more to earn less. This tool walks the chain the right way: from desired net income to the rate to display.
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Start from target net
The monthly income you actually want to pocket, plus your business expenses.
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Set the reality
Your status’s taxes and contributions, weeks off (vacation + gaps), billable days per week.
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Display the rate
Rounded up to the next 5 — with the billed days/year and corresponding revenue.
Example: targeting $3,000 net per month
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Target net income + expenses | $3,000 + $300/month |
| Taxes and contributions | 45% of revenue |
| Billed days | 45 weeks × 4 d = 180 d/year |
| Required annual revenue | $72,000 |
| Resulting daily rate | ≈ $400 |
This rate is an economic floor, not a positioning: the market pays perceived value, not your costs. If your specialty is worth more, charge more — never less than this floor.
Frequently asked questions
Why must my daily rate be so high?
Because a freelancer does not bill 218 days a year the way an employee works them. Between vacations, holidays, prospecting, admin and gaps, 140 to 180 billed days is the common reality. And of every dollar billed, 25 to 50% goes to contributions and taxes depending on your status.
What goes into “taxes + contributions”?
The overall percentage taken from your revenue: social contributions, income tax, local business taxes, any unrecovered VAT. Sole proprietors often sit at 25-35%; incorporated setups with a salary closer to 45-55%. Adjust to your real situation.
Why only 4 billed days per week?
The fifth day goes to prospecting, quotes, bookkeeping, training and watch — essential but non-billable work. Experienced freelancers plan this ratio from the start rather than suffer it.
My computed rate is above market: what now?
Three paths: specialize up (niches pay more), trim expenses or the target income, or raise billable days (long engagements = less prospecting). Cutting the rate without a plan means funding the gap from your own salary.