Freelance rate calculator: check consulting quotes
Find your target hourly rate, then check whether a fixed consulting fee covers the hours you expect to work.
Your inputs stay in this browser. Double-check any numbers before acting on the result.
Money you plan to keep after business expenses and your chosen reserve.
Software, equipment, insurance, hosting, and professional services.
Share of revenue after business expenses to set aside. This tool does not calculate tax owed.
Vacation, holidays, and sick days.
All hours worked, including admin, proposals, and marketing.
Share of working time clients pay for. For example, 21 paid hours in a 35-hour week is 60%.
Your pricing target
Use this target to compare quotes. It does not predict what clients will pay.
- Target hourly rate
- $131
- Average revenue per working day (not a day rate)
- $550
- Average billable hours per day (5-day week)
- 4.2h
- Monthly gross billing needed
- $11,000
- Annual gross billing needed
- $132,000
- Annual planning reserve
- $30,000
- Billable hours per week
- 21h
- Non-billable hours per week (admin & sales)
- 14h
- Annual billable hours
- 1008h
Check a consulting quote
See what your fee pays per hour before business costs. Include project meetings, preparation, and revisions.
Example values. Enter the fee for your work, without separately reimbursed costs.
See the client work and unpaid hours your next quote needs to cover.
Find a rate that covers your working year
Enter the income you want, your business costs, and your total working hours. The calculator gives you a target hourly rate. Change an estimate to see how it affects the target. The calculator runs in your browser and doesn’t upload your inputs.
Allow for time off and work you can’t bill, such as proposals and bookkeeping. If clients pay for 21 hours of a 35-hour working week, enter 60% for billable capacity.
The planning reserve is a share of revenue after business expenses that you set aside. The tool doesn’t calculate tax owed or predict what clients will pay.
See what a fixed fee pays per hour
Enter a proposed fee and the hours you expect the project to take. Include meetings, preparation, and revisions. Add extra hours to see how much room the fee leaves for work that takes longer.
For example, a $3,000 fee gives these results:
| Total project hours | Effective hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 20 | $150 |
| 24 | $125 |
| 30 | $100 |
Four extra hours reduce the rate from $150 to $125. If that falls below your target, consider a higher fee or less included work before you quote.
Use the fee for your work, excluding separately reimbursed costs. The result is revenue per project hour, not personal income.
Use the result in your next quote
For a day rate, multiply your hourly target by the hours included in the day. At $130 per hour, a seven-hour client day is $910. The tool’s average revenue per working day includes non-billable time, so it is not a full-day quote.
After a project, compare the hours you expected with the hours it took. Use that difference to adjust the next estimate when the work is similar.
TimeRetain helps you see where your working hours go, so your next quote can reflect the work behind it. Keep a record of client work and admin to replace guesses with your own experience.
Track the hours your next quote needs to cover.
Already have a timesheet? Use the billable hours calculator to total its hours and amounts.
Questions and answers
How do I calculate my freelance hourly rate?
Enter your target personal income, annual business costs, a planning reserve percentage, total working hours, and billable capacity. The result is a pricing target, not an estimate of tax owed.
How do I estimate my billable capacity?
Estimate the share of working time you expect clients to pay for. For example, 21 paid hours in a 35-hour working week is 60%. Leave time for proposals, admin, and unpaid follow-ups.
How does the freelance rate calculator check a fixed fee?
Enter your fee and expected project hours to see what the fee pays per hour. Add extra hours to see when the rate drops below your target.
How do I turn an hourly rate into a daily rate or project fee?
Multiply your hourly target by the hours included in the day or project. The displayed average revenue per working day includes non-billable time, so use your hourly target when quoting a full client day.
Does this calculator upload my numbers?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and doesn't upload your inputs.