How to set a freelance hourly rate (any country)
A solid freelance rate covers your income, business costs, taxes / VAT / self-employment, and the reality that you cannot bill 40 hours every week. Use the salary converter for a quick floor, then the profitable-rate tool to add expenses and margin. Works for freelancers in any country — pick your currency above (major + emerging markets). Full walkthrough: how to set a freelance rate.
Four tools on this page
- Salary → hourly — income target, billable weeks/hours, tax buffer.
- Profitable rate — add expenses, utilization, and profit margin.
- Day rate — hourly × hours/day, or project fee ÷ days. Guide →
- Invoice total — line items, discount, tax/VAT; copy a clean summary.
Rules of thumb (global freelancers)
- Billable utilization of 50–70% is common for solo freelancers.
- Day rates often use 6–7 billable hours, not 8.
- Raise rates for rush work, niche expertise, or short projects.
- Quote projects from estimated days × day rate, then round to a clean package price.
- Review rates every 6–12 months — and when you change markets or currencies.
- Match invoice tax/VAT % to your local rules (set 0 if not applicable).
Popular searches this tool answers
- Freelance hourly rate calculator free
- How much should freelancers charge per hour?
- Day rate calculator from hourly
- Freelance invoice calculator with tax / VAT
- Salary to hourly rate for freelancers
Hourly vs day rate vs fixed project
Hourly fits support, retainers, and fuzzy scope. Day rate fits multi-day implementation and on-site work. Fixed project should still be reverse-engineered from your day/hourly floor so you don’t underbid.
FAQ
What is a good freelance hourly rate worldwide?
It depends on skill, market, and costs. Start from the income you need after tax and non-billable time, not from “what friends charge.”
Should I charge hourly or day rate?
Day rates reduce time-tracking friction for multi-day work. Hourly fits support, retainers, and unclear scope. Many freelancers publish a day rate and a half-day rate.
How do I price a fixed project?
Estimate days honestly, multiply by day rate, add risk buffer (10–30%), and define out-of-scope work. Use the day-rate and invoice tools together.
Can freelancers outside the US use this?
Yes. Switch among 40+ currency labels (USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, INR, BRL, AED, and more) and set tax/VAT to match your country. The math is the same worldwide.
Is my data private?
Yes. All math runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server.