The Money Friend

Freelance Rate Calculator

To earn $100K as a freelancer, you need to charge $X/hr. Accounts for self-employment tax, insurance, no-work days, equipment, and retirement savings.

Freelance Rate Calculator

How much do you actually need to charge as a freelancer? Let's figure it out.

$
$0$500,000

Your target after taxes, insurance, and business costs

30
1050

Be realistic — most freelancers bill 25-35 hours/week

3
08

No work means no income — budget for time off

To take home $100,000 as a freelancer, you need to charge at least $148/hour — that's $174,005 in total revenue per year.

Here's the thing

$148/hour is standard for experienced professionals in fields like consulting, development, or design. To justify this rate, focus on the value you deliver, not your time. Package your services as fixed-price projects when possible. And don't forget: you're paying $24,162 in self-employment tax that W-2 employees don't see.

Required hourly rate

$148/hr

Daily rate

$710/day

Based on 4.8 billable hours/day

Monthly revenue needed

$14,500/mo

Useful for retainer pricing

Gross annual revenue needed

$174,005

Billable hours per year

1176 hrs

49 working weeks, 20% non-billable time excluded

Self-employment tax (15.3%)

$24,162/yr

12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare on 92.35% of net income

Income tax (~22%)

$33,643/yr

Health Insurance

$7,200/yr

$600/mo

Retirement Savings

$6,000/yr

$500/mo

Business Expenses

$3,000/yr

$250/mo

Equivalent W-2 salary

$138,462

What a salaried employee would need to earn for similar take-home

The Money Friend

To take home $100,000 as a freelancer, you need to charge at least $148/hour — that's $174,005 in total revenue per year.

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This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Actual costs may vary based on your creditworthiness, location, and lender. Consult a licensed financial advisor or mortgage professional before making financial decisions.

Interest rates, payments, and loan terms shown are examples for illustration purposes only and do not represent an offer to lend, a commitment to make a loan, or a guarantee of any specific rate or term. Actual rates and terms are determined by lenders based on your individual credit profile and may differ from examples shown.

Past performance and historical data do not guarantee future results. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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