Available hours
Your preferred weekly hours are multiplied by 48 working weeks, leaving four weeks for vacation and unexpected gaps.
Professional rate calculator
Make informed pricing decisions. The calculator estimates competitive rates from your market benchmark, income target, available hours, project complexity, timeline, client type, and engagement length.
Built for freelancers, consultants, and agencies. For more utilities, explore the full tools catalog, or use Freelance Codex for deeper guides to freelance pricing, contracts, and delivery.
This provides a benchmark against the employment market.
$1,000$85,000$250,000
Understanding your rates
How the calculator sets your rates
It starts with your target annual income, then works backward through available hours, non-billable time, and project factors. The goal is a sustainable rate that still fits your market.
Your rate = (target income ÷ available hours) × adjustments
The basics
Overhead time
A 1.4× multiplier covers non-billable administration, marketing, sales, and business development.
Adjustment factors
Four factors adjust the base rate to reflect the value and effort of the work.
Project complexity
- Standard
- 1.0×
- Complex
- 1.3×
- Highly complex
- 1.6×
Timeline urgency
- Standard
- 1.0×
- Urgent
- 1.5×
- Immediate
- 2.0×
Client type
- Startup
- 0.9×
- Mid-market
- 1.15×
- Enterprise
- 1.5×
Engagement length
- One-off project
- 1.0×
- 3-6 months
- 0.9×
- 6+ months
- 0.8×
Reality check
The calculator compares your income target with a full-time salary benchmark.
Conservative (up to 1.2× salary)
Usually achievable with standard rates.
Realistic (1.2-1.5× salary)
Achievable with good positioning.
Ambitious (1.5-2.0× salary)
Requires a strong strategy and positioning.
Stretch (over 2.0× salary)
Needs an exceptional value proposition.
Example
Starting point
- • Target income: $120,000 per year
- • 40 working hours per week
- • 4 weeks of buffer time
Calculation
- 1. Available hours: 40 × 48 = 1,920 hours per year
- 2. Base rate: ($120,000 ÷ 1,920) × 1.4 = $87.50 per hour
- 3. Rounded final rates: $90 hourly, $720 daily, and $3,600 weekly