How many hours can a freelancer actually bill?

Typically 50–70% of working hours — about 60% is a safe default. The non-billable 40% covers proposals, invoicing, email, marketing and learning. Charging as if 100% of your time is billable is the most common way freelancers underprice themselves.

Should I charge hourly, per day, or per project?

Use hourly when scope is undefined, day/weekly for blocks of dedicated time, and project or value-based pricing when the outcome is well defined — clients increasingly pay for results, and outcome pricing usually earns more than billing by the hour.

How much should I set aside for taxes?

It varies by country and situation — many freelancers budget roughly 25–40% of profit. Set the effective tax rate to match your jurisdiction. This tool provides estimates, not tax advice; confirm with a qualified professional.

Can I quote in my client’s currency?

Yes. Otterdeck supports 14 currencies with correct symbols and decimals, and fetches live exchange rates so you can present the quote in your client’s currency — then turn it into a full, branded proposal in a couple of clicks.

Know exactly what to charge — in any currency

Turn your income goals into a defensible rate — hourly, daily, retainer or per project — then into a client-ready proposal.

Your numbers

Target take-home income (per year)

What you want to earn after tax.

Business expenses (per year)

Software, gear, insurance, marketing…

Working weeks / year

52 − holidays & time off

Hours / week

Billable time60%

Share of hours you can actually bill. Most freelancers ≈ 60% — the rest is admin, sales & marketing.

Effective tax rate30%

Applied to your profit (revenue − expenses). We pre-fill a typical rate for your currency's region — please adjust it to match your own situation. This is an estimate, not tax advice.

Conservative

$101/hr

$605/day

Recommended

$115/hr

$691/day

Premium

$139/hr

$835/day

Tip: for well-defined work, switch to Project or value-based pricing — clients increasingly pay for outcomes, which usually earns more than billing by the hour.

Quote in your client’s currency

Client currency

1 USD =

Pick a currency to convert your quote.

Compare to the marketAI

yrs

Turn this into a client-ready proposal

Otterdeck turns your rate into a branded, priced proposal you can send in minutes.

Why these numbers

To take home $70,000 after 30% tax and cover $6,000 of expenses, you need to bill about $106,000 a year. Across 1104 billable hours (46 weeks × 40 h × 60% billable), that’s a break-even of $96/hr. The tiers add a profit and safety buffer on top — Recommended is the sustainable rate for most freelancers.

Frequently asked questions

Start from the annual take-home income you want, add your business expenses, and gross that up for tax — then divide by the hours you can realistically bill in a year. Most freelancers bill only 50–70% of their working time; the rest goes to admin, sales and marketing. This calculator does all of that and gives you a defensible range, not a single number.

Results are estimates to help you price with confidence — not financial or tax advice. Currency conversions are indicative. Confirm tax treatment with a qualified professional.