Find the hourly rate you need to hit your income goal — after expenses, time off, and a buffer for income tax, self-employment tax, and slow months. Built for freelancers in the US and worldwide.
How much you want to earn annually before income tax.
Software subscriptions, tool costs, insurance, bookkeeping fees, etc.
Plan for admin time, sales calls, and learning blocks that you can't bill directly.
Weeks off you take each year — holidays, sick time, and breaks.
Cushion for taxes, business development, slow months, and emergencies.
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Outputs update instantly based on inputs.
Enter your assumptions to calculate.
Enter your assumptions to calculate.
Note: Adjust inputs to model different workload and income scenarios.
🛡 Freelance Planning Standard
This calculator distinguishes billable hours from overhead time, so your rate covers the work you actually invoice. Once you determine your rate, try our free Invoice Generator to bill clients.
Add the take-home income you want to your annual business expenses, then divide by the hours you can realistically bill in a year (weeks worked × billable hours per week), and add a buffer on top. Because US freelancers pay self-employment tax in addition to income tax, build that into the buffer so your rate truly covers it. This calculator does the math for you.
Many independent contractors set aside 25–35% of their income for federal income tax plus self-employment tax — 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare — and pay it as quarterly estimated taxes. Move that money to a separate account each time you invoice so there are no surprises.
Yes. Unlike employees, freelancers usually pay for their own health insurance and get no employer match on retirement savings. Fold those costs into your monthly business expenses or your buffer so the rate this calculator produces actually covers them.
It depends on your situation, but many freelancers use 25–35% to cover income tax, self-employment tax, unpaid time, and reinvestment in the business. Set aside taxes separately and treat the buffer as protection, not profit.
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