Finance
True Freelance Rate
This is different from our Hourly Rate calc. This one starts with: "How much would I want as a salaried employee?" and reverse-engineers the hourly rate you need to ACTUALLY match that lifestyle as a freelancer.
FAQ
Why does the rate seem so high? +
When you're a W-2 employee, the employer pays ~30% of your salary in benefits/taxes on top. As a freelancer, you eat that. Plus you only bill ~50-60% of your hours.
What about the 'I'll only work 20 hours' freelance dream? +
If you only bill 20 hours/week, you need to charge much more. The math shows why specialized freelancers charge $150-300/hr to net mid-six-figure salaried compensation.