Freelance Rate Calculator

To determine your freelance hourly rate: (1) decide your desired annual take-home pay; (2) divide by billable hours per year (hours/week × weeks worked, minus vacation/admin); (3) add enough to cover self-employment tax (≈15.3%), federal tax, and state tax. A $75K take-home at 25 hrs/week for 48 weeks in California typically requires billing around $65–75/hr depending on expenses.

A common rule: take your desired annual salary and divide by 1,000 to get an hourly rate. For $75,000 that suggests $75/hr. This approximates 1,000 billable hours (≈20 hrs/week × 50 weeks) and embeds a rough buffer for taxes and overhead. Our calculator uses actual tax math for your state and filing status.

Self-employment tax (Social Security + Medicare) adds about 15.3% on net earnings. Unlike W-2 employees, you pay both employer and employee portions. The calculator includes SE tax, federal income tax, and state tax. At $75K net in California, total tax can reach 30–40% of gross, so your bill rate must be significantly higher than your desired take-home.

Yes. Fewer billable hours mean the same take-home target is spread over fewer hours, so the required hourly rate rises. For example, $75K take-home at 20 hrs/week × 48 weeks requires ~$78/hr; at 30 hrs/week it drops to ~$52/hr. Use the calculator to see the exact rate for your schedule.

Set desired annual take-home, divide by billable hours (typically 50–70% of work hours), then add 25–40% for taxes and expenses. $75K take-home at 25 hrs/week in California often requires $65–75/hr. Developers: mid-level $45–75/hr, senior $75–150/hr. Designers: mid $35–60/hr. Start 15–30% above target to leave negotiation room.