.calculator-widget {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 30px;
background: #ffffff;
border: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
border-radius: 12px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
.calc-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
.calc-header h2 {
color: #2d3748;
margin: 0;
font-size: 28px;
}
.calc-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 20px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.calc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
}
.input-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.input-group label {
display: block;
font-weight: 600;
color: #4a5568;
margin-bottom: 8px;
font-size: 14px;
}
.input-wrapper {
position: relative;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}
.input-wrapper input {
width: 100%;
padding: 12px;
border: 2px solid #cbd5e0;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 16px;
transition: border-color 0.2s;
}
.input-wrapper input:focus {
border-color: #4299e1;
outline: none;
}
.prefix, .suffix {
position: absolute;
color: #718096;
font-weight: 500;
}
.prefix { left: 12px; }
.suffix { right: 12px; }
.input-with-prefix { padding-left: 30px !important; }
.input-with-suffix { padding-right: 35px !important; }
.calc-btn {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
background-color: #4299e1;
color: white;
padding: 15px;
border: none;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: 700;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.2s;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.calc-btn:hover {
background-color: #3182ce;
}
.result-box {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
background: #ebf8ff;
border: 1px solid #bee3f8;
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 20px;
margin-top: 20px;
text-align: center;
display: none;
}
.result-box.visible {
display: block;
}
.result-title {
color: #2b6cb0;
font-size: 14px;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;
font-weight: 700;
}
.result-value {
color: #2c5282;
font-size: 42px;
font-weight: 800;
margin: 10px 0;
}
.result-breakdown {
font-size: 14px;
color: #4a5568;
margin-top: 10px;
padding-top: 10px;
border-top: 1px solid #bee3f8;
}
.seo-content {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 40px auto;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #2d3748;
}
.seo-content h2 {
color: #2d3748;
font-size: 24px;
margin-top: 30px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #e2e8f0;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}
.seo-content h3 {
color: #4a5568;
font-size: 20px;
margin-top: 25px;
}
.seo-content ul {
margin-bottom: 20px;
padding-left: 20px;
}
.seo-content li {
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.seo-content p {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.highlight-box {
background: #f7fafc;
border-left: 4px solid #4299e1;
padding: 15px;
margin: 20px 0;
}
function calculateRate() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var targetSalary = parseFloat(document.getElementById('targetSalary').value);
var monthlyExpenses = parseFloat(document.getElementById('monthlyExpenses').value);
var billableHoursWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById('billableHours').value);
var weeksOff = parseFloat(document.getElementById('weeksOff').value);
var taxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('taxRate').value);
var profitMargin = parseFloat(document.getElementById('profitMargin').value);
// 2. Validate Inputs
if (isNaN(targetSalary) || targetSalary < 0) targetSalary = 0;
if (isNaN(monthlyExpenses) || monthlyExpenses < 0) monthlyExpenses = 0;
if (isNaN(billableHoursWeek) || billableHoursWeek <= 0) billableHoursWeek = 1;
if (isNaN(weeksOff) || weeksOff < 0) weeksOff = 0;
if (isNaN(taxRate) || taxRate < 0) taxRate = 0;
if (isNaN(profitMargin) || profitMargin < 0) profitMargin = 0;
// 3. Perform Calculations
// Total working weeks
var workingWeeks = 52 – weeksOff;
if (workingWeeks Gross = Net / (1 – TaxRate)
var taxFactor = (100 – taxRate) / 100;
if (taxFactor <= 0) taxFactor = 0.01; // Prevent division by zero if 100% tax
var grossSalaryNeeded = targetSalary / taxFactor;
// Total Revenue Needed (Salary + Expenses)
var baseRevenue = grossSalaryNeeded + annualExpenses;
// Add Profit Margin
// Revenue = Cost / (1 – Margin)
var marginFactor = (100 – profitMargin) / 100;
if (marginFactor <= 0) marginFactor = 0.01;
var totalRevenueRequired = baseRevenue / marginFactor;
// Total Billable Hours per Year
var totalBillableHours = billableHoursWeek * workingWeeks;
// Final Hourly Rate
var hourlyRate = totalRevenueRequired / totalBillableHours;
// 4. Update UI
document.getElementById('finalRate').innerHTML = '$' + hourlyRate.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('displayNet').innerHTML = targetSalary.toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('displayGross').innerHTML = totalRevenueRequired.toLocaleString('en-US', {maximumFractionDigits: 0});
document.getElementById('displayHours').innerHTML = totalBillableHours.toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('resultsArea').classList.add('visible');
}
How to Calculate Your Freelance Hourly Rate
Setting the right hourly rate is one of the most critical decisions you will make as a freelancer or independent contractor. Charge too little, and you risk burnout while barely covering your bills. Charge too much without justification, and you may struggle to attract clients. This Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator takes the guesswork out of pricing your services by working backward from your financial goals.
Why You Can't Just Charge Your Old Salary
A common mistake new freelancers make is taking their previous annual salary and dividing it by 2,080 (the standard number of working hours in a year). This method is flawed for several reasons:
- Unbillable Time: Unlike an employee, you aren't paid for marketing, invoicing, replying to emails, or IT troubleshooting. Only your "billable hours" generate revenue.
- Self-Employment Taxes: You are now responsible for both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes, plus income tax.
- Overhead Costs: Software subscriptions, health insurance, hardware upgrades, and internet costs are now your responsibility, not your employer's.
- No Paid Time Off: If you take a vacation or get sick, your income stops unless you've factored those days into your rate.
Pro Tip: Most successful freelancers aim for a billable utilization rate of 60% to 70%. If you plan to work 40 hours a week, only assume you can bill for 25 to 28 of them.
The Formula Explained
This calculator uses a "bottom-up" approach to determine your minimum viable rate. Here is the logic behind the numbers:
- Adjusted Net Income: We start with what you actually want to take home in your pocket.
- Tax Gross-Up: We calculate the pre-tax money you need to earn to end up with that net income. For example, if you need $75,000 net and have a 25% tax rate, you need to earn $100,000 before taxes.
- Business Overhead: We add your annual operating expenses.
- Profit Margin: We add a buffer for business savings and growth.
- Total Billable Hours: We multiply your weekly billable hours by your actual working weeks (52 minus vacation/sick time).
Finally, we divide your Total Required Revenue by your Total Billable Hours to find your hourly rate.
Factors That Influence Your Rate
While this calculator gives you a financial baseline, your market value may be higher. Consider these factors when finalizing your quote:
- Niche Expertise: Specialists can charge 50-100% more than generalists.
- Urgency: Rush jobs should command a premium (often 25-50%).
- Value Provided: If your work directly generates revenue for the client (e.g., sales copy or conversion optimization), price based on value, not just hours.