NorthPeak

What should you charge per hour?

Start from the income you want to live on, add your real costs, tax and time off, and see the minimum hourly and day rate that gets you there. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.

Your goal
After tax and business costs – what you want to live on.
%
Share of your profit for income tax, pension and social insurance. Your accountant knows your number.
Your time
Days you can't work. Better to plan for them.
%
Admin, finding clients, emails and learning aren't paid. 50–70% is typical.
Your business costs
Software, equipment, insurance, phone, accountant, training, marketing …
Add them up item by item
%
Only if you are VAT-registered. It doesn't change your own rate.

How the rate is worked out

  1. Working days = 52 weeks × days per week, minus holiday weeks, public holidays and sick days.
  2. Billable hours = working days × hours per day × billable share.
  3. Profit before tax = the income you want ÷ (1 − tax rate), so that after tax you keep your goal.
  4. Revenue you need = profit before tax + business costs for the year.
  5. Minimum hourly rate = revenue you need ÷ billable hours. It is your floor, not your price.

Keep it as a spreadsheet

The Freelancer Business Kit has this calculator with a project quote sheet, plus an invoice tracker, a client CRM and a business budget for Excel and Google Sheets.

See the kit on Etsy

Track the hours you bill

NorthPeak Desk keeps your clients, time, calendar and outreach in one app that works offline. Your data stays on your device.

Try the free demo
Minimum hourly rate–