.calculator-container {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 30px;
background: #f9f9f9;
border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-radius: 8px;
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
}
.calculator-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
.calculator-header h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.input-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 20px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.input-grid {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
.input-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.input-group label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 5px;
font-weight: 600;
color: #555;
}
.input-group input {
width: 100%;
padding: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 4px;
box-sizing: border-box;
font-size: 16px;
}
.input-group .help-text {
font-size: 12px;
color: #777;
margin-top: 4px;
}
.calc-btn {
width: 100%;
padding: 15px;
background-color: #27ae60;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 4px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.3s;
margin-top: 20px;
}
.calc-btn:hover {
background-color: #219150;
}
.results-area {
margin-top: 30px;
background: #fff;
border: 1px solid #ddd;
border-radius: 4px;
padding: 20px;
display: none;
}
.results-area.active {
display: block;
}
.result-row {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: center;
padding: 10px 0;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
}
.result-row:last-child {
border-bottom: none;
}
.result-label {
color: #555;
font-weight: 500;
}
.result-value {
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 18px;
color: #2c3e50;
}
.highlight-result {
background-color: #e8f8f5;
padding: 15px;
border-radius: 4px;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.highlight-result .result-value {
font-size: 24px;
color: #27ae60;
}
/* Article Styles */
.article-content {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 50px auto;
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #333;
}
.article-content h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-top: 40px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #27ae60;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}
.article-content h3 {
color: #2980b9;
margin-top: 25px;
}
.article-content ul {
margin-left: 20px;
}
.article-content li {
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.article-content p {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.info-box {
background-color: #f1f9ff;
border-left: 5px solid #3498db;
padding: 15px;
margin: 20px 0;
}
function calculateFreelanceRate() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var targetIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById('target_income').value);
var expenses = parseFloat(document.getElementById('annual_expenses').value);
var hoursPerWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById('billable_hours_per_week').value);
var weeksOff = parseFloat(document.getElementById('weeks_off').value);
var taxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tax_rate').value);
var profitMargin = parseFloat(document.getElementById('profit_margin').value);
// 2. Validate Inputs
if (isNaN(targetIncome) || isNaN(expenses) || isNaN(hoursPerWeek) || isNaN(weeksOff) || isNaN(taxRate)) {
alert("Please fill in all required fields with valid numbers.");
return;
}
// Set defaults for optional logic if needed, but validation handles most
if (isNaN(profitMargin)) profitMargin = 0;
// 3. Calculation Logic
// Calculate Total Working Weeks
var workingWeeks = 52 – weeksOff;
// Calculate Total Billable Hours per Year
var totalBillableHours = workingWeeks * hoursPerWeek;
// Prevent division by zero
if (totalBillableHours = 1) {
alert("Tax rate cannot be 100% or higher.");
return;
}
var grossRevenue = goalWithProfit / (1 – decimalTax);
var totalTaxes = grossRevenue * decimalTax;
// Calculate Hourly Rate
var hourlyRate = grossRevenue / totalBillableHours;
// 4. Update UI
var formatter = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', {
style: 'currency',
currency: 'USD',
minimumFractionDigits: 2
});
document.getElementById('display_hourly_rate').innerHTML = formatter.format(hourlyRate);
document.getElementById('display_gross_revenue').innerHTML = formatter.format(grossRevenue);
document.getElementById('display_total_hours').innerHTML = Math.round(totalBillableHours).toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('display_taxes').innerHTML = formatter.format(totalTaxes);
// Show results container
document.getElementById('results').className = "results-area active";
}
How to Calculate Your Freelance Hourly Rate Accurately
One of the most challenging aspects of transitioning from full-time employment to freelancing is determining your pricing strategy. Unlike a salaried employee, a freelancer must cover their own overhead, taxes, insurance, and unpaid downtime. Simply dividing your previous salary by 2,080 (the standard number of work hours in a year) is a recipe for financial struggle.
This Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator uses a "reverse engineering" approach to help you set a rate that covers your costs and hits your income targets.
1. Understanding Billable vs. Non-Billable Hours
A common mistake new freelancers make is assuming they can bill for 40 hours a week. In reality, you will spend a significant portion of your time on non-billable tasks, including:
- Marketing and business development (finding clients)
- Administrative work (invoicing, contracts)
- Skill development and training
- IT troubleshooting
Most successful freelancers average between 20 to 30 billable hours per week. If you calculate your rate based on a 40-hour billable week, you will likely fall short of your income goals.
2. The Tax Burden
As an employee, your employer pays half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. As a freelancer, you are responsible for the full amount (often referred to as Self-Employment Tax) plus your standard income tax. This calculator factors in your estimated tax rate to ensure your gross revenue is high enough to leave you with your desired net income.
Pro Tip: A safe rule of thumb for US-based freelancers is to set aside 25-30% of every payment for taxes.
3. Calculating Overhead and Expenses
Gross revenue is vanity; net profit is sanity. Your hourly rate must cover every expense your employer used to pay for. This includes:
- Hardware & Software: Laptops, Adobe Creative Cloud, accounting software, hosting.
- Office Costs: Coworking space fees, internet, utilities, ergonomic furniture.
- Professional Fees: Legal advice, accountant fees, business insurance.
- Health Insurance: Premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
4. Why Factor in a Profit Margin?
You shouldn't just break even. Your business needs to generate profit to:
- Build a rainy day fund for lean months.
- Invest in better equipment or courses.
- Allow for eventual outsourcing of tasks.
Adding a 10-20% profit margin on top of your base costs ensures your business is sustainable and scalable.
Example Calculation
Let's say you want to take home $60,000 a year. You have $5,000 in expenses, want 4 weeks of vacation, and can bill 25 hours a week. Assuming a 30% tax rate:
- Working Weeks: 52 – 4 = 48 weeks.
- Billable Hours: 48 weeks × 25 hours = 1,200 hours/year.
- Total Cash Needed (Pre-Tax): To net $65,000 (income + expenses) after 30% taxes, you need roughly $92,857 in gross revenue.
- Hourly Rate: $92,857 / 1,200 hours = $77.38/hour.
Using the calculator above removes the guesswork and does this math instantly for your specific situation.