Freelance Rate Calculator
Work backwards from your desired annual income to find your minimum viable hourly and daily rate as a freelancer.
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How this calculator works
Most freelancers undercharge because they only think about salary replacement. But freelancers also pay self-employed taxes, have no employer PF match, pay for their own health insurance, invest in tools, and have non-billable admin time. Your rate must cover all of this.
Minimum Rate = (Desired Income + Taxes + Business Expenses) / Billable hours per year
Last updated: March 2026 · Rates and slabs updated for FY 2025-26
Billable ≠ working
If you work 40 hrs/week, realistically 60–70% is billable. The rest is sales, admin, learning.
Add 30% buffer for taxes
As a freelancer, you'll pay both employee and employer side of taxes + self-employment tax. Budget 25–35% for taxes.
Value pricing > hourly
Once established, price per project outcome, not time. A website that makes a client ₹10L is worth ₹1L, not 20hrs × ₹2000.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you work 40 hrs/week, realistically 60–70% is billable. The rest is sales, admin, learning.
As a freelancer, you'll pay both employee and employer side of taxes + self-employment tax. Budget 25–35% for taxes.
Once established, price per project outcome, not time. A website that makes a client ₹10L is worth ₹1L, not 20hrs × ₹2000.