This calculator is meant to help freelancers determine what hourly rate they need to charge clients based on their business & personal expenses, billable hours and financial goals.

A rule of thumb is that you should charge at least double the hourly rate that an equivalent in-house full-time job would pay, because as a freelancer you are responsible for overhead expenses like rent, utilities, equipment,  plus reduced job security.

If you prefer to charge on a project basis, you can multiplay your hourly rate by the number of hours you expect the project to take to estimate a budget. By tracking your hours spent, you can determine if you are ahead or behind on the budget — working at a profit or at a loss.

The calculator does not take into account important factors such as market supply and demand, education or experience. Use these calculations as a guide, then adjust to suit your circumstances. For industry guidelines, consult the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines.

Be honest with yourself, take your time and use real numbers!

All inputs and calculations are done locally in your browser. No information is sent to the server unless you request an email report at the end of the form.