Freelance Rate & Project Price Calculator
Calculate a minimum hourly rate, suggested client rate and project quote from your income goal, business expenses, time off, billable utilization and scope buffer.
Price the work—not just the hours.
Turn an income goal, business costs and realistic billable time into a sustainable freelance rate and project quote.
Method: Required hourly rate = (income goal + business costs) ÷ realistic annual billable hours. The project quote adds your scope buffer.
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A clear answer, with the method included.
How to use this freelance rate & project price calculator
- Enter the requested information in the fields above.
- Check that the values match your situation.
- Read the result, then copy it if you need it elsewhere.
The formula
Minimum rate = (annual income goal + annual business expenses) ÷ realistic annual billable hours.
Example
A freelancer targeting $72,000 with $9,000 in costs cannot divide by every working hour because administration and sales time are not billable.
Good to know.
Why use billable percentage?
Freelancers spend time on sales, administration, learning and unpaid communication, so not every working hour can be invoiced.
Does this include tax?
Only if you include a tax allowance in annual costs or increase the income goal. Tax rules vary by location.
What is a scope buffer?
It provides room for revisions, communication and uncertainty that were not included in the initial hour estimate.