Freelance budget calculator for monthly income and hourly rates.
Figure out how much you need to earn each month to cover your take-home pay, business costs, taxes, and savings buffer. Then see the hourly rate that makes that budget work.
Budget summary
Enter your numbers to see a monthly revenue target, the hourly rate it implies, and whether your current pricing is enough.
Budget breakdown
Take-home
$0
Business costs
$0
Tax reserve
$0
Savings buffer
$0
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Sample freelance scenarios
Use these presets to sanity-check the numbers before you adapt the calculator to your own work pattern.
Solo designer
Good for a service business with a modest tool stack, a few client calls each week, and a clear monthly income goal.
Independent developer
Useful when your software stack is heavier and your billable time is mixed with planning, support, and async work.
Writer or consultant
Handy for people whose weekly output is smaller but whose hourly rate needs to stay high enough to cover expertise.
Why this calculator is useful
Freelance pricing gets messy when you only think about the invoice amount. This tool keeps the hidden parts visible: the money you want to keep, the business costs you cannot ignore, and the reserves that protect you when work slows down.
Budget first, rate second
Start from the income you need, not from a random market average, so the result actually fits your life.
Tax and buffer included
Use separate reserves for tax and savings instead of pretending every invoice dollar is spendable.
Checks a current rate
Enter your existing rate and see whether it really supports your month, or whether the math still leaves a gap.
Need a step-by-step explanation of the formula? Read the freelance rate guide for the plain-English version.
FAQ
What is the difference between take-home pay and revenue?
Take-home pay is the money you want left for personal living. Revenue is the larger amount you need to bill before taxes, reserves, and business spending.
Should I use total work hours or billable hours?
Use billable hours. Admin, marketing, meetings, and admin time usually do not get invoiced, so total work time will make the rate look too low.
Is this a bookkeeping or tax tool?
No. It is a planning calculator only. Treat the output as a rough target and verify actual tax rules, deductions, and compliance requirements separately.