Figure It Quick

Decision guides

How much should I charge per hour?

Estimate a freelance hourly rate from income target, expenses, billable hours and working weeks.

Start here

Use the Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator

Your hourly rate needs to cover target income, business costs, unpaid admin time, holidays and quiet weeks.

Open the calculator

Things to double-check

  • Billable hours are lower than total working hours.
  • Expenses should be recovered through pricing.
  • Taxes are not calculated unless you include them in the income target or expense buffer.

Quick checklist

  1. Set annual personal income target.
  2. Add business expenses.
  3. Estimate working weeks.
  4. Estimate realistic billable hours per week.
  5. Compare the rate with market reality and project value.

Common mistakes

  • Dividing salary target by 52 x 40.
  • Forgetting admin, marketing and unpaid calls.
  • Charging one rate for every type of work even when value differs.

Why freelance rates need a different formula

Employees are paid for many hours that freelancers cannot bill directly. Admin, proposals, bookkeeping and gaps between projects still need to be covered. That is why billable hours matter more than total working hours.

How to use the estimate

Use the calculator to find a floor, not a perfect price. If the result is far above what clients will pay, you may need higher-value services, fewer unpaid hours or a different package structure.

What to calculate next

Use the invoice calculator to check tax, discount and subtotal math before sending work to a client.

Useful next steps

Invoice Total CalculatorSalary to HourlySalary vs Hourly Pay GuideProfessional Calculation ToolkitNumber tools

Make this page useful

Use one real example as you read. A bill, quote, date, label, target or saved result makes the guidance easier to judge.

If the answer could change what you do, check the source of the number before acting on it.

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How to use the answer

Estimate a freelance hourly rate from income target, expenses, billable hours and working weeks. Use the first result as a starting point, then change one important input if you are comparing options. The second answer usually tells you whether the decision is sensitive to price, time, rate, target, deadline or another assumption.

Before relying on the result, check the unit, date range, percentage base and whether the figure is daily, monthly, yearly or total. If the answer will affect a bill, purchase, study target, health routine or official decision, treat it as a planning estimate and verify the important inputs from a reliable source.

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