Freelance Rate Calculator
Help freelancers and consultants price their services correctly. This calculator factors in desired take-home income, self-employment taxes, business expenses, and realistic billable hours to calculate minimum hourly, daily, and weekly rates. Perfect for freelance platforms, business coaches, and accountants who work with self-employed clients. Users who understand their true costs are more likely to succeed - and to become your loyal customers.
Try the Calculator
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export function freelanceRateCalculator(form: FormTs) {
form.addRow(row => {
row.addTextPanel('header', {
computedValue: () => 'Freelance Rate Calculator',
customStyles: { 'font-size': '1.5rem', 'font-weight': '600', 'color': '#1e293b' }
});
});
form.addRow(row => {
row.addTextPanel('subheader', {
computedValue: () => 'Calculate your ideal hourly or project rate',
customStyles: { 'font-size': '1rem', 'color': '#64748b' }
});
});
form.addSpacer({ height: 20 });
// Income Goals Section
const incomeSection = form.addSubform('incomeGoals', { title: '🎯 Income Goals' });
incomeSection.addRow(row => {
row.addDecimal('annualSalaryGoal', {
label: 'Desired Annual Income ($)',
min: 20000,
max: 1000000,
defaultValue: 80000,
decimalPlaces: 0,
isRequired: true,
tooltip: 'What you want to take home after taxes and expenses'
}, '1fr');
row.addDropdown('taxBracket', {
label: 'Estimated Tax Bracket',
options: [
{ id: '15', name: '15% (Low income)' },
{ id: '22', name: '22% (Middle income)' },
{ id: '24', name: '24% (Upper middle)' },
{ id: '32', name: '32% (High income)' },
{ id: '35', name: '35%+ (Very high income)' }
],
defaultValue: '24',
isRequired: true
}, '1fr');
});
// Business Expenses Section
const expensesSection = form.addSubform('businessExpenses', { title: '💸 Monthly Business Expenses' });
expensesSection.addRow(row => {
row.addDecimal('software', {
label: 'Software & Tools ($)',
min: 0,
max: 5000,
defaultValue: 200,
decimalPlaces: 0
}, '1fr');
row.addDecimal('coworking', {
label: 'Office/Coworking ($)',
min: 0,
max: 5000,
defaultValue: 0,
decimalPlaces: 0
}, '1fr');
});
expensesSection.addRow(row => {
row.addDecimal('insurance', {
label: 'Health Insurance ($)',
min: 0,
max: 3000,
defaultValue: 500,
decimalPlaces: 0
}, '1fr');
row.addDecimal('retirement', {
label: 'Retirement Savings ($)',
min: 0,
max: 5000,
defaultValue: 500,
decimalPlaces: 0
}, '1fr');
});
expensesSection.addRow(row => {
row.addDecimal('otherExpenses', {
label: 'Other Expenses ($)',
min: 0,
max: 10000,
defaultValue: 300,
decimalPlaces: 0,
tooltip: 'Marketing, education, equipment, etc.'
}, '1fr');
});
// Working Hours Section
const hoursSection = form.addSubform('workingHours', { title: '⏰ Working Schedule' });
hoursSection.addRow(row => {
row.addInteger('weeksPerYear', {
label: 'Working Weeks Per Year',
min: 20,
max: 52,
defaultValue: 48,
tooltip: 'Account for vacation, sick days, holidays'
}, '1fr');
row.addInteger('hoursPerWeek', {
label: 'Hours Per Week',
min: 10,
max: 80,
defaultValue: 40
}, '1fr');
});
hoursSection.addRow(row => {
row.addInteger('billablePercent', {
label: 'Billable Hours (%)',
min: 20,
max: 100,
defaultValue: 65,
tooltip: 'Typically 50-70%. Rest goes to admin, marketing, etc.'
}, '1fr');
row.addDropdown('experienceLevel', {
label: 'Experience Level',
options: [
{ id: 'junior', name: 'Junior (0-2 years)' },
{ id: 'mid', name: 'Mid-Level (2-5 years)' },
{ id: 'senior', name: 'Senior (5-10 years)' },
{ id: 'expert', name: 'Expert (10+ years)' }
],
defaultValue: 'mid'
}, '1fr');
});
form.addSpacer({ height: 20, showLine: true, lineStyle: 'dashed' });
// Results Section
const resultsSection = form.addSubform('results', { title: '💰 Your Rates', isCollapsible: false });
const calculateRequiredGross = () => {
const salary = incomeSection.decimal('annualSalaryGoal')?.value() || 80000;
const taxBracket = parseFloat(incomeSection.dropdown('taxBracket')?.value() || '24') / 100;
const software = (expensesSection.decimal('software')?.value() || 0) * 12;
const coworking = (expensesSection.decimal('coworking')?.value() || 0) * 12;
const insurance = (expensesSection.decimal('insurance')?.value() || 0) * 12;
const retirement = (expensesSection.decimal('retirement')?.value() || 0) * 12;
const other = (expensesSection.decimal('otherExpenses')?.value() || 0) * 12;
const totalExpenses = software + coworking + insurance + retirement + other;
// Need to gross up for taxes: net = gross * (1 - tax)
// So gross = (salary + expenses) / (1 - tax)
const selfEmploymentTax = 0.153 * 0.9235; // ~14.1%
const totalTaxRate = taxBracket + selfEmploymentTax;
const grossRequired = (salary + totalExpenses) / (1 - totalTaxRate);
return grossRequired;
};
const calculateBillableHours = () => {
const weeks = hoursSection.integer('weeksPerYear')?.value() || 48;
const hoursPerWeek = hoursSection.integer('hoursPerWeek')?.value() || 40;
const billablePercent = hoursSection.integer('billablePercent')?.value() || 65;
return weeks * hoursPerWeek * (billablePercent / 100);
};
resultsSection.addRow(row => {
row.addPriceDisplay('grossRequired', {
label: 'Required Gross Revenue',
computedValue: () => Math.round(calculateRequiredGross()),
variant: 'default',
suffix: '/year'
}, '1fr');
row.addTextPanel('billableHours', {
computedValue: () => {
const hours = calculateBillableHours();
return `Billable Hours: ${Math.round(hours)}/year`;
},
customStyles: { 'font-size': '0.95rem', 'color': '#475569' }
}, '1fr');
});
resultsSection.addRow(row => {
row.addPriceDisplay('dailyRate', {
label: 'Daily Rate (8 hours)',
computedValue: () => {
const gross = calculateRequiredGross();
const billableHours = calculateBillableHours();
const hourly = gross / billableHours;
return Math.ceil(hourly * 8);
},
variant: 'default',
suffix: '/day'
}, '1fr');
row.addPriceDisplay('weeklyRate', {
label: 'Weekly Rate',
computedValue: () => {
const gross = calculateRequiredGross();
const billableHours = calculateBillableHours();
const hourly = gross / billableHours;
const billablePercent = hoursSection.integer('billablePercent')?.value() || 65;
const hoursPerWeek = hoursSection.integer('hoursPerWeek')?.value() || 40;
return Math.ceil(hourly * hoursPerWeek * (billablePercent / 100));
},
variant: 'default',
suffix: '/week'
}, '1fr');
});
resultsSection.addRow(row => {
row.addTextPanel('experienceAdjustment', {
computedValue: () => {
const level = hoursSection.dropdown('experienceLevel')?.value() || 'mid';
const gross = calculateRequiredGross();
const billableHours = calculateBillableHours();
const baseRate = gross / billableHours;
const multipliers: Record<string, { low: number; high: number; label: string }> = {
'junior': { low: 0.7, high: 1.0, label: 'Junior rates are typically 70-100% of calculated rate' },
'mid': { low: 1.0, high: 1.3, label: 'Mid-level can charge 100-130% of base rate' },
'senior': { low: 1.3, high: 1.8, label: 'Senior professionals charge 130-180% premium' },
'expert': { low: 1.8, high: 3.0, label: 'Experts can command 180-300%+ premium rates' }
};
const mult = multipliers[level] || multipliers['mid'];
const lowRate = Math.ceil(baseRate * mult.low);
const highRate = Math.ceil(baseRate * mult.high);
return `${mult.label}: $${lowRate} - $${highRate}/hour`;
},
customStyles: { 'font-size': '0.9rem', 'color': '#059669', 'text-align': 'center' }
});
});
const finalSection = form.addSubform('final', {
title: '🧾 Summary',
isCollapsible: false,
sticky: 'bottom'
});
finalSection.addRow(row => {
row.addPriceDisplay('hourlyRate', {
label: 'Minimum Hourly Rate',
computedValue: () => {
const gross = calculateRequiredGross();
const billableHours = calculateBillableHours();
return Math.ceil(gross / billableHours);
},
variant: 'large',
suffix: '/hour'
});
});
finalSection.addRow(row => {
row.addTextPanel('disclaimer', {
computedValue: () => 'Market rates vary by industry and location.',
customStyles: { 'font-size': '0.85rem', 'color': '#94a3b8', 'font-style': 'italic' }
});
});
form.configureSubmitButton({
label: 'Save My Rate'
});
}
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I customize this for different countries?
Yes. Adjust the tax brackets and self-employment tax calculations for your country. Add relevant expense categories like VAT, national insurance, or local taxes.
How can freelance platforms use this?
Embed the calculator in your onboarding flow or resource center. It helps new freelancers set competitive rates and increases platform engagement.
Can business coaches use this for client acquisition?
Absolutely. The calculator demonstrates value while capturing leads. Freelancers who realize they're undercharging are prime coaching prospects.
Does this work for agencies or small teams?
The base calculator is for solo freelancers, but you can extend it to calculate team billing rates by adding employee costs and overhead.
Can I add industry-specific benchmarks?
Yes. Add comparison data showing typical rates for different industries or skill levels. This context helps freelancers position themselves appropriately.