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Freelance Day Rate Calculator

"What should I charge?" — work out the day rate and hourly rate you actually need, once holidays, sick days, and non-billable time are accounted for.

Enter the details

£
What you want to earn before tax — include a buffer for tax and business costs if this needs to be your take-home.
Holiday + sick + public holidays
%
Admin, marketing, finding clients
Day rate to charge
£0
£0/hour
Working weeks/year0
Working days/year0
Billable days/year0

How this is calculated

Most freelancers under-price themselves by forgetting that not every working day is billable — time spent on admin, invoicing, finding new clients, and running the business all eat into the days you can actually charge for.

This calculator starts from your target income, subtracts weeks off to get your working weeks, converts that into working days, then reduces further by your non-billable time percentage to get realistic billable days. Your target income divided by billable days gives the day rate you need to charge to hit your goal.

This is a planning tool, not financial advice — it doesn't account for your specific tax situation, business expenses, or what clients in your field typically pay. Use it as a starting point, not a final answer.

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Practical money guidance

Day Rate Calculator Guide

A day rate becomes meaningful only when you pair it with a realistic number of paid or billable days. The calculator gives you the arithmetic; the checks below help you avoid treating every weekday as paid work.

How to use the result sensibly

  1. Start with the day rate you charge or are considering.
  2. Use a realistic number of paid working days after allowing for weekends, holidays and any expected gaps between assignments.
  3. Multiply day rate by paid days for a simple gross annual equivalent. Keep this separate from take-home pay, tax and the value of permanent-employment benefits.

Quick example

At £400 per day for 220 paid days, the simple gross annual equivalent is £88,000. That does not mean a £400 contractor day rate is directly equivalent to an £88,000 permanent salary package: paid leave, pension, sick pay, employment status, taxes, expenses and gaps between contracts can all matter.

Common questions

How many working days should I use?

Use the number you genuinely expect to be paid for. A lower figure can be more realistic when you expect holidays or gaps between contracts.

Is day rate × days the same as take-home pay?

No. It is a gross revenue or gross-equivalent figure before the tax, costs and employment-status considerations that may apply to you.

Why can a contractor day rate look high beside a salary?

A day rate may need to cover unpaid leave, downtime, business costs and benefits that a permanent employee may receive separately.

UsefulFox calculations are for general information and planning. Check current official guidance, contractual terms and professional advice where the result affects tax, legal rights or a financial decision.