How to set your freelance rate (without guessing)

Start from take-home, not a market average

Copying "the going rate" ignores your costs and goals. Start from the opposite end: the net income you want each month. Everything else — fees, taxes, unpaid time — gets added on top of that number.

Only count billable hours

You can't bill 40 hours a week. Admin, sales, learning and breaks eat a big chunk. Realistic billable time is often 20–30 hours per week. Divide your annual income target by your real billable hours, not by 2,080.

Don't forget weeks off — holidays, sick days and gaps between clients.

Add back platform fees and taxes

If a platform takes 10–20% and tax takes another slice, the rate a client pays must be higher than your take-home divided by hours. Gross it up so what lands in your account matches your goal.

Sanity-check against the market

Once you have a number, compare it to what similar freelancers charge on your platforms. If your target rate is far above the market, you may need more billable hours, lower costs, or a higher-value niche — not a lower goal.