Determine exactly what you need to charge to meet your income goals.
Minimum Hourly Rate:$0.00
Daily Rate (8h):$0.00
Weekly Revenue Target:$0.00
Total Annual Revenue Needed:$0.00
function calculateRate() {
// Get input values
var salary = document.getElementById("annualSalary").value;
var expenses = document.getElementById("businessExpenses").value;
var hoursPerWeek = document.getElementById("billableHours").value;
var weeksOff = document.getElementById("weeksOff").value;
var margin = document.getElementById("profitMargin").value;
// Validate inputs – parse floats and handle empties
var salaryNum = parseFloat(salary) || 0;
var expensesNum = parseFloat(expenses) || 0;
var hoursNum = parseFloat(hoursPerWeek);
var weeksOffNum = parseFloat(weeksOff) || 0;
var marginNum = parseFloat(margin) || 0;
// Logic Validation
if (isNaN(hoursNum) || hoursNum = 52) {
alert("Weeks off cannot exceed 52.");
return;
}
// 1. Calculate Total Working Weeks
var workingWeeks = 52 – weeksOffNum;
// 2. Calculate Total Billable Hours per Year
var totalBillableHours = workingWeeks * hoursNum;
// 3. Calculate Base Revenue Needed (Salary + Expenses)
var baseRevenue = salaryNum + expensesNum;
// 4. Add Profit/Safety Margin
// If margin is 20%, we divide by 0.8 to ensure the final amount has that margin
// Or simpler: Add % to costs. Let's use markup method: Base * (1 + margin/100)
var totalRevenueNeeded = baseRevenue * (1 + (marginNum / 100));
// 5. Calculate Hourly Rate
var hourlyRate = totalRevenueNeeded / totalBillableHours;
// 6. Calculate derived metrics
var dailyRate = hourlyRate * 8; // Assuming standard day reference, though freelancers vary
var weeklyRevenue = totalRevenueNeeded / workingWeeks;
// Display Results
document.getElementById("hourlyResult").innerHTML = "$" + hourlyRate.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("dailyResult").innerHTML = "$" + dailyRate.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("weeklyResult").innerHTML = "$" + weeklyRevenue.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("annualResult").innerHTML = "$" + totalRevenueNeeded.toFixed(2);
// Show the result container
document.getElementById("resultsArea").style.display = "block";
}
Understanding Your Freelance Rate
Setting the right hourly rate is one of the most difficult challenges for new and experienced freelancers alike. Unlike a salaried employee, your rate must cover not just your take-home pay, but also your taxes, insurance, software costs, retirement savings, and the time you spend on non-billable tasks.
Why You Can't Just Divide Your Salary by 2080
A standard full-time corporate year is roughly 2,080 hours (40 hours x 52 weeks). However, freelancers rarely bill 40 hours a week every week of the year. If you use the standard corporate divisor, you will severely undercharge.
This Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator takes into account the specific variables that affect your bottom line:
Billable Hours: You spend time marketing, invoicing, and learning. Most freelancers only bill 50-60% of their working time.
Overhead: You are responsible for your own laptop, internet, office space, and professional subscriptions.
Time Off: If you don't factor in sick days and vacation, you are paying to take a break.
How to Use This Calculator
Desired Annual Income: Enter the pre-tax amount you would like to earn personally. Think of this as your "salary."
Business Expenses: Sum up your yearly costs. This includes web hosting, Adobe/software subscriptions, accountant fees, and equipment.
Billable Hours: Be realistic. If you work 40 hours total, you likely only have 20-25 billable hours after administrative work.
Weeks Off: Don't forget to account for holidays and potential sick leave. A standard buffer is 4-6 weeks.
Profit Buffer: It is wise to add a 10-20% margin for lean months or business growth savings.
What is a "Daily Rate"?
The calculator provides a daily rate based on an 8-hour workday multiplied by your calculated hourly requirement. Many senior consultants prefer billing by the day rather than the hour to focus on value delivered rather than minutes tracked.
Use this tool periodically to adjust your rates as your expenses change or as you gain more experience and efficiency.