About Freelance Rate Calculator

Who runs this site

Freelance Rate Calculator is built and maintained by Pond Software, a small independent studio that makes free, no-signup calculators for self-employed and financially curious people. We run a family of tools — from tax and salary converters to mortgage and compound-interest calculators — and this site is our home for freelance pricing.

There's no venture money, no sales team, and no lead-gen funnel behind it. The tools are free to use, and the site is supported by lightweight analytics, occasional display ads, and a few affiliate links to gear we think is genuinely useful.

Why this site exists

When you leave a salaried job to freelance, “just charge your old hourly rate” is a trap. A W-2 salary hides the employer's share of payroll tax, health insurance, paid time off, and the simple fact that not every working hour is billable. Ignore those and you can take a real pay cut while feeling like you got a raise.

The rate calculator exists to make that math explicit: it starts from the income you actually want to keep, then works backward through self-employment tax, benefits you now buy yourself, non-billable time, and business expenses to land on an hourly number that holds up. The role-specific pages apply the same logic to what different fields typically charge.

How we approach rate data

• The math is transparent, not a black box. Every number the calculator produces comes from inputs you can see and change. We show the assumptions rather than hiding them behind a single “recommended rate.”
• Ranges over false precision. Real freelance rates vary by location, niche, and client. Where we cite typical ranges, we mean them as starting points to reason from — not guarantees of what you'll earn.
• Estimates, not advice. Tax figures use simplified federal rates and don't account for your state or personal situation. For decisions with real money on the line, check the numbers with a professional.