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Freelancer Hourly Rate Calculator

Stop guessing what to charge. Enter your income goal and work schedule — get the hourly rate that actually pays your bills. Free forever.

Hourly Rate Calculator

Your numbers update the rate live as you type.

Your Numbers
Billable hours = hours you actually charge clients for. Most freelancers bill 20–35 of every 40 working hours.
Your rate
$0.00
per hour
Per day (8 hrs)$0.00
Per week$0.00
Invoice at this rate →

How to calculate your rate in 3 steps

  1. Set your income goal. Enter what you want to earn in a year — be honest about the lifestyle you're working toward.
  2. Add expenses and time off. Include software, hardware, taxes, and the weeks you won't bill. The calculator subtracts non-billable reality.
  3. Get your rate instantly. Your income goal plus expenses, divided by real billable hours — that's the rate that actually sustains you.

Why most freelancers undercharge

The classic mistake is dividing a salary by 2,080 hours. You won't bill 40 hours a week — meetings, admin, marketing and downtime eat 30–50%. BillsZilla's calculator uses billable hours only, so the rate it gives you covers your real life. Then use the time tracker to log hours at that rate and the invoice generator to bill them.

Hourly rate FAQ

Add your target annual income to your annual business expenses, then divide by your billable hours per year (weekly billable hours × (52 − weeks off)). The result is the hourly rate that covers your goal. The calculator above does this instantly.
There's no single number — it depends on your income goal, expenses, skill level, and billable hours. As a rule of thumb, most freelancers need 2–3× their equivalent employee hourly wage to cover taxes, unpaid admin time, and time off.
Yes. Software, hardware, internet, coworking, insurance, and taxes are real costs. Add them to your income target before dividing by billable hours, or you'll undercharge.
Yes — unlimited calculations, no signup, no watermark. Everything runs in your browser.
Most freelancers bill 20–30 hours of a 40-hour week. Start with 25 and adjust after tracking a month with the free time tracker.
Not necessarily. Your calculated rate is your floor — the minimum that sustains you. Premium clients, rush work, and specialized skills can command more. Never go below the floor.
Hourly is safer when scope is uncertain; project pricing earns more once you're fast. Many freelancers quote projects but track hours internally to check profitability — which is exactly what the time tracker is for.
Use our free invoice generator to send a professional invoice in seconds, or track your hours and turn them into an invoice automatically.