You're probably undercharging.Let's fix that.
A free freelance rate calculator built on 150,000+ federal wage records across 391 US metro areas. Pick your profession, enter your numbers, and get an hourly, project, and retainer rate with the arithmetic shown.
Your recommended range
$95–$142/hr
Income target
$120K
Hrs / week
35
Skill level
I do it well
Market median
$78/hr
AI profit boost
+38%
Effective rate
$158/hr
391 metro areas · BLS OEWS 2024
Typical freelance rate by profession
per hour- Voice-Over Artist$200
- Brand Strategist$175
- Photographer$150
- Marketing Consultant$150
- Software Developer$140
- SEO Consultant$125
- PR Specialist$125
- UI/UX Designer$120
- PPC Specialist$120
- Motion Designer$110
- Web Developer$105
- Meta Ads Specialist$100
- Webflow Developer$100
- Presentation Designer$100
- Illustrator$100
- Copywriter$85
- Social Media Manager$85
- Video Editor$85
- Graphic Designer$75
- Podcast Editor$75
- Virtual Assistant$45
Four steps from guessing to knowing.
MethodSet your floor
Your income goal, taxes, overhead, and unbillable hours create the minimum rate you can sustainably charge. Most freelancers have never calculated this number. It’s usually 40–80% higher than what they’re charging.
Benchmark the market
Your floor is personal math. The market is external reality. We map your rate against real wage data across 391 metro areas so you can see where you actually sit — not where you think you sit.
Adjust for the work
A routine maintenance task and a high-stakes strategy engagement should not live in the same pricing universe. Your skill level, project complexity, and the type of work you do all shift the number.
See the full picture
Every assumption is visible. Every multiplier is explained. You get a range — floor, recommended, premium — not fake certainty. And if you’re using AI tools, the calculator shows your real profit margin after tool costs.
Pricing calculators built for how you actually work.
Per hourEvery profession prices differently. A developer bills hourly. A designer quotes per deliverable. A photographer prices by the shoot. Each calculator is built for the way that profession actually charges, not a one-size-fits-all template.
The first pricing tool that accounts for AI.
Built for 2026Every other pricing calculator on the internet assumes you do 100% of the work manually. In 2026, that’s dishonest. Our AI toggle lets you select the tools you use — ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, Copilot, whatever your stack is — and shows you what it actually means for your bottom line.
Profit margin
See your real margin per hour after AI tool costs are deducted. Not revenue — profit.
Time saved
If AI handles 40% of your work, every billed hour only costs you 36 minutes of actual effort. That changes what “hourly rate” really means.
Effective earning
Your posted rate is $105/hr. But with AI efficiency, your effective earning per worked hour is $158. That’s the number that matters.
0+
Data points
0
Metro areas
0
Professions
0
Pricing guides
Transparent math, not black-box guesswork.
ProvenanceWe don’t make up numbers. Every rate recommendation traces back to a formula you can inspect, question, and verify.
Federal wage data
Rate benchmarks come from 150,000+ data points covering 830 occupations across 391 metro areas. Updated annually. Not scraped from forums. Not self-reported surveys. Government-collected, employer-verified wage data.
Visible formula
Every calculation shows its work. You can see each multiplier — self-employment tax, overhead, unbillable hours, skill adjustment, regional cost of living — and exactly how they combine to produce your number.
Ranges, not false precision
We give you a floor, a recommended rate, and a premium rate. Because anyone who tells you there’s one exact number you should charge is lying. The range is honest. The methodology behind it is rigorous.
Free tools to quote, scope, and adjust your rates.
Supporting toolsSalary to Hourly Calculator
Convert an annual salary to a freelance hourly rate — accounting for taxes, overhead, and actual billable hours.
Try itProfit Margin Calculator
Enter your income and expenses — see your real margin and effective hourly after everything is deducted.
Try itProject Hours Estimator
Select deliverables for websites, apps, or design systems — get a realistic hours range for scoping and quoting.
Try itQuote Builder
Add line items with hours and rates, choose payment milestones, and copy a formatted quote to clipboard.
Try itRate Increase Calculator
See inflation-adjusted, market-adjusted, and recommended new rates based on your current rate and last increase.
Try itInflation Rate Adjuster
Enter your old rate and the year you set it — see what it should be in 2026 dollars, adjusted for CPI.
Try itThe thinking behind the numbers.
Pricing guidesFrameworks, strategies, and exact scripts for pricing your work — written for freelancers who want to stop guessing.
How to Charge for Freelance Work
The formula, the three pricing models, and the math behind a rate you can defend to any client.
14 minHow Much Should I Charge as a Freelancer?
Exact 2026 rates for 21 professions, backed by BLS data. Floor, median, and premium for each.
12 minAm I Charging Enough?
7 diagnostic signs you are undercharging — each with real numbers and a test you can run today.
8 minIs Freelancing Worth It?
The honest break-even math for 2026: what you gain, what you lose, and who should not freelance.
10 minFree freelance rate calculator for 21 professions
The WhatShouldICharge freelance rate calculator returns an hourly, project, and retainer rate for 21 professions using Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data across 391 US metro areas. Enter your income target, billable hours, skill level, and metro area to get a floor rate, a recommended rate, and a premium rate in under 60 seconds.
Stop guessing what to charge. Start with the math.
Pick your profession. Run the calculator. Get a number backed by data, adjusted for your situation, and defensible to any client.
Find your rate