Stop undercharging. Calculate what you actually need to charge per hour to hit your income goals after taxes and expenses.
Include self-employment tax (~15%) + income tax. US freelancers typically pay 25-35%.
Vacation, holidays, sick time. Most freelancers take 2-6 weeks.
Time spent on actual client work. Rest goes to admin, marketing, invoicing. Most freelancers are 50-70% billable.
Enter your numbers and click calculate
Self-employment tax alone is ~15%. Most freelancers pay 25-35% total. A $50/hr rate is really $32-37/hr after taxes.
You can't bill for marketing, invoicing, emails, or meetings. Most freelancers are only 50-70% billable.
Software, equipment, health insurance, retirement savings— these add up fast and reduce your real take-home.
A $75k salary = ~$36/hr. But employees get benefits worth 20-30% more. You need to charge much more to match it.
Your rate is what you need to live on. If clients can't afford you, they're not your clients. Focus on finding clients who value your work. You can also adjust your lifestyle expectations or reduce expenses.
Not necessarily. Enterprise clients often pay more. Rush jobs deserve premiums. Your calculated rate is your minimum—charge more when you can.
This calculator gives you your floor. Value-based pricing means charging based on the value you create for clients, which can be much higher than your hourly rate.
Start with new clients. For existing clients, give 30-60 days notice. Present it as a natural evolution: "My rates are increasing to $X starting [date]."
SkunkCRM helps freelancers manage clients, track leads, and stay organized. Know exactly where your revenue is coming from.
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