Freelancer Rate Calculator
Turn a take-home pay goal into a freelance rate.
Freelancers pay their own taxes, benefits and tools, and do not get paid for vacation. This calculator grosses up your take-home target for taxes, adds expenses and spreads it across your real billable hours.
Use the result as a floor — your market, experience and the value you deliver may justify more.
Formula
Gross revenue = Take-home ÷ (1 − Tax rate) + ExpensesBillable hours = Hours per week × (52 − Weeks off)Hourly rate = Gross revenue ÷ Billable hours
Example
$60,000 take-home at a 28% tax rate plus $6,000 expenses needs about $89,333. At 25 hours for 46 weeks that is roughly $77.68 per hour or $621 per day.
Frequently asked questions
What tax rate should I use?
Combine your expected income tax and self-employment or CPP contributions. An accountant can give you an accurate effective rate.
What is a day rate?
A day rate is a fixed price for a working day — here calculated as eight billable hours.
How do I invoice as a freelancer?
Use the free freelance invoice template to list your hours or project fees and download a PDF.