Freelance hourly rate calculator
Work out what you actually need to charge to hit your target income — after tax, expenses, holidays and the hours you can't bill.
What you want to earn after tax.
Income tax + self-employment / social contributions.
Software, coworking, insurance, phone, gear.
Slack for slow months, reinvestment, savings.
Holidays + sick + admin days you don't work at all.
Admin, marketing, prospecting — hours you work but can't invoice.
The formula nobody wants to tell you
The most common freelance pricing mistake is dividing your old salary by 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40 hours) and calling it a day. That gives you an employee hourly cost. As a freelancer, you're paying your own tax, insurance, holidays, sick days, and equipment — and you're not billing anywhere near 40 hours a week. Do the maths honestly and most solo freelancers need to charge 2–3× their old employee hourly rate just to break even.
The realistic starting point
Multiply your desired take-home by these steps:
- Gross it up for tax: take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate). €50k take-home at 35% tax = €76,923 pre-tax.
- Add real business costs: software, coworking, insurance, phone, hardware, courses. Usually €3k–€8k/year for a solo digital freelancer.
- Add a profit buffer: 10–20% for slow months, reinvestment, and eventual retirement. This is the part employees forget exists.
- Divide by billable hours: if you work 40h/week for 44 weeks with 30% non-billable time, that's 44 × 40 × 0.7 = 1,232 billable hours/year — not 2,080.
Common ranges by discipline (EU / US)
| Discipline | Junior / mid | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Web / mobile developer | €40–75 / $50–95 | €80–150 / $100–200+ |
| UI / UX designer | €40–70 / $50–90 | €75–130 / $95–175 |
| Copywriter / content | €35–60 / $45–75 | €65–120 / $85–150 |
| Marketing / SEO consultant | €45–80 / $60–100 | €90–180 / $115–225 |
| Management consultant | €60–100 / $80–125 | €120–300+ / $150–400+ |
| Bookkeeper / accountant | €35–55 / $45–70 | €60–100 / $75–125 |
Ranges are indicative — actual rates depend on niche, geography and portfolio.
Frequently asked
What is a good hourly rate for a freelancer?
It depends on your country, specialisation and target income. A useful rule: charge 2–3× what an equivalent employee earns per hour, to cover tax, benefits, non-billable time and business risk. Use the calculator above with your actual numbers to get a realistic figure.
Should I charge hourly or per project?
Use the hourly rate to price your projects, but quote the project total. Clients hate open-ended hourly meters. Reserve hourly billing for maintenance, retainer and small ad-hoc work.
How many billable hours per week is realistic?
Most successful solo freelancers bill 20–30 hours per week. The rest goes to admin, sales, marketing, learning, breaks and downtime. Anyone claiming 40+ billable hours/week is either burning out or fudging the numbers.
How do I factor tax into my rate?
Divide your desired take-home by (1 − effective tax rate). If you want €50,000 take-home and pay 35% total tax and social contributions, you need €50,000 / 0.65 = €76,923 pre-tax.
Should I raise my rate for existing clients?
Yes, annually. A 5–10% yearly increase compounds. Long-term clients often expect a rate review. If they push back, you have leverage — you know their business and they don't want to onboard someone new.
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