Convert your desired salary to a freelance hourly rate. This calculator accounts for taxes, insurance, overhead, vacation, and non-billable time — so you don't end up earning less than an employee.
Your freelance hourly rate
$86
per hour
Track your hours and invoice at that rate
HourBill combines time tracking and invoicing in one screen — built for freelancers.
Join the HourBill waitlistThe biggest mistake new freelancers make is dividing their old salary by 2,080 hours (40h × 52 weeks) and using that as their rate. This ignores three costs that employees don't pay: self-employment taxes, business overhead, and unbillable time.
Self-employment taxes and insurance typically add 25-35% on top of your desired take-home pay. In the US, this covers the employer-side FICA taxes (7.65%), income taxes, and health insurance that your employer used to cover.
Business overhead (10-20%) covers software subscriptions, equipment, a dedicated workspace, professional development, and accounting fees. These costs are invisible when you're employed but real when you freelance.
Non-billable time is the hidden killer. Between marketing, invoicing, client communications, proposals, and admin, most freelancers only bill 60-75% of their working hours. A 40-hour week might yield only 28-30 billable hours.
Our calculator handles all three. Enter your desired take-home pay, and it shows you the hourly rate you need to charge to actually hit that number.
Average hourly rates vary significantly by profession. Click any profession below for a detailed breakdown and a calculator pre-filled with industry defaults.
| Profession | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | $35/h | $65/h | $120/h |
| Social Media Manager | $25/h | $50/h | $100/h |
| Video Editor | $30/h | $60/h | $130/h |
| Copywriter | $30/h | $65/h | $150/h |
| Web Developer | $50/h | $95/h | $175/h |
| Bookkeeper | $25/h | $42/h | $75/h |
| Marketing Consultant | $50/h | $100/h | $200/h |
| Writer | $25/h | $50/h | $100/h |
A good freelance rate depends on your profession, experience, and location. In the US, freelance rates typically range from $25/h for entry-level work to $150+/h for specialized consulting. The key is covering your taxes (25-35%), overhead (10-20%), and non-billable time (20-40%) while hitting your desired take-home pay.
Take your desired annual salary, add 25-35% for self-employment taxes and insurance, add 10-20% for business overhead (software, equipment, office), then divide by your actual billable hours per year. Most freelancers bill 1,000-1,400 hours/year, not the 2,080 of a full-time job — the rest goes to marketing, admin, and time off.
Hourly works best when scope is uncertain or ongoing. Project-based is better when you can estimate the work accurately — it rewards efficiency and removes client anxiety about the clock running. Many experienced freelancers quote project rates but calculate them from an internal hourly rate using this kind of calculator.