# Freelance rate calculator

> From what you want to take home to what you need to charge per hour, counting costs, taxes, holidays and the hours nobody pays for.

Interactive calculator: https://www.nyrut.com/en/freelance-rate-calculator

## The usual mistake: salary divided by 1,760 hours

An employee works about 1,760 hours a year and gets paid for all of them. You don't: part of every day goes on finding clients, quoting, invoicing, learning and waiting between projects. Most freelancers bill 50–70% of the hours they work.

And your rate has to cover what an employer would pay: social security, equipment, software, an accountant, holidays and sick days.

## The formula

- **1. Profit needed**: take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate)
- **2. Revenue needed**: profit + business costs
- **3. Billable hours**: (52 − weeks off) × 5 days × hours per day × % billable
- **4. Hourly rate**: revenue ÷ billable hours

## FAQ

**Should I charge per hour or per project?**
Your hourly rate is your floor. Charging per day or per project is often better: the client buys an outcome, and you're not penalised for working fast.

**Does the rate include VAT?**
No. If you charge VAT, add it on top.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-15)

- [Spanish Social Security: 2026 autónomo rates](https://www.seg-social.es/wps/portal/wss/internet/Trabajadores/CotizacionRecaudacionTrabajadores/36537)

Nyrut shows what you've invoiced this month and this year against your goal, without spreadsheets.