---
title: "Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator: What to Charge | MCC"
description: "Enter the income you want, your expenses, time off and billable hours to see the hourly rate, day rate and monthly revenue you need. Free and private."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/freelance-hourly-rate-calculator"
---

Free tool

# Freelance hourly rate calculator

## Overview

Enter the income you want to keep, your business costs and the hours you can really bill. See the hourly and day rate that gets you there.

[![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)

Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software)

What you want

Take-home income you want per year ($)

Business expenses per year ($)

Set aside for taxes, health and retirement (%)

Your time

Weeks off per year (vacation, holidays, sick)

Billable hours per week

Billable hours in a day rate

Excel workbook · $19

### Freelancer Income Tracker

Record each payment and expense and see monthly net, a tax set-aside at the percentage you choose, and how much of your income comes from each client.

[See what is inside ($19)](/toolkits/freelancer-income-tracker) [Free sample](/toolkits/freelancer-income-tracker#free-starter)14-day full refund

Share

## Put this tool on your own site

Free to use. Paste this where you want it to appear. It runs in the visitor's browser, so nothing they enter is sent to us.

[See every calculator you can embed](/embed)

How it works

## How it works

The calculator adds your target take-home income to your business expenses, then grosses it up for taxes, benefits and savings using the set-aside percent you choose. It divides that by the hours you can bill in a year, which is your billable hours a week times the weeks you work.

Want a second pair of eyes on your books? [A free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check).

FAQ

## About this calculator

**How do I figure out my freelance hourly rate?**

Add the income you want to take home to your business expenses, then add a set-aside for taxes, benefits and retirement. Divide by the hours you can actually bill in a year.

**Why not just divide my salary goal by 2,080 hours?**

Freelancers cannot bill every hour they work. Finding clients, invoicing, email and time off are unpaid. Only the hours you can bill count.

**What should I put for the tax and benefits set-aside?**

It is your own estimate. Freelancers pay their own self-employment tax, health insurance and retirement savings, so many set aside 25% to 35%. A tax preparer can tell you what fits your situation.

**Should I charge more than the number I get?**

Often yes. Slow months, late payments and unpaid projects are normal, so a cushion helps. Check the number against what clients in your field actually pay.

**Is anything saved?**

No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to us.

Comparing freelance to a job? Use the [self-employed tax calculator](/bookkeeping/self-employed-tax-calculator). Guide: [how to set a freelance hourly rate](/bookkeeping/guides/how-to-set-a-freelance-hourly-rate). More free tools: [Loan-to-value ratio calculator](/bookkeeping/loan-to-value-ratio-calculator), [Auto loan calculator](/bookkeeping/auto-loan-calculator), [Loan comparison calculator](/bookkeeping/loan-comparison-calculator), or [see all free tools](/free-tools).

Free

### Month-End Close Checklist (PDF)

The five-day close, one page to print. Enter your email and we send a link to confirm it is yours, then the download. We may email you about new toolkits, and every email has an unsubscribe link.

General information, not tax or legal advice. [How we write and check our tools](/editorial-standards).

Keep this calculator on your phone: [Add MCC Money to your phone](/tools/mcc-money-app). It's free, works offline and holds 62 calculators.

Excel workbook

### Freelancer Income Tracker

Record each payment and expense and see monthly net, a tax set-aside at the percentage you choose, and how much of your income comes from each client.

[See what is inside ($19)](/toolkits/freelancer-income-tracker) [Try the free starter](/toolkits/freelancer-income-tracker#free-starter)

Also in the [Freelancer Launch Bundle](/toolkits/freelancer-launch-bundle): 4 products for $89 instead of $126 separately.

Tallyfinch

### Books you keep on your own computer

Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries.

[See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software)

## Freelancing and need your books in order?

[Free books check](/bookkeeping/health-check)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)