Day-Rate Calculator

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The honest rate that actually covers you — hidden costs, realistic billable days and a tax set-aside included. This is your floor, not your ceiling.

Works offline · nothing you type leaves this page.

Currency
What you need to earn Per year. The money you actually want, before tax — plus the costs an employer would normally cover for you.
£

Enter a number of 0 or more.

£

Enter a number of 0 or more.

Not sure? Break it down

These add up to £0.00.

£

Enter a number of 0 or more.

Tax set-aside An estimate you keep back for tax — not tax advice. Worked out on your take-home income only; expenses and pension are treated as pre-tax.
%

Enter a percentage between 0 and 99.

Your real working year You're available more days than you can actually bill. This is where most calculators lie — and why so many freelancers undercharge.

Enter a number of days between 1 and 366.

%

The days off add up to more than the days you're available. Adjust the numbers so at least one billable day remains.

Enter between 0.5 and 24 hours.

Reality check Optional. See how what you charge now compares with your floor.

Your entries are remembered in this browser only — nothing leaves your device. Reset restores the defaults and forgets them.

Your floor rate — the minimum to not go backwards

Day rate

£—
per day

Hourly rate

£—
per hour

This is the floor — the least you can charge and still cover your costs, tax and time off. When a job is worth far more to the client than the hours it takes, charge more.

Where this comes from

Take-home you want—
Business expenses—
Pension—
Tax set-aside—
Annual target — what you must invoice—

And that leaves you exactly what you asked for:

  • Take-home in your pocket —
  • Pension funded —
  • Business costs covered —
Divided across your — realistically billable days a year (you're available —, but holiday, cover and non-billable admin time bring that down) = — a day.
The reality gap: you're available — days a year but can realistically bill only about —. Most calculators just divide a salary by — — and that single mistake is why so many freelancers quietly undercharge. Yours is worked out on the days you can actually bill.

This is your floor — not your ceiling

The number above is what stops you going backwards. It isn't what your work is worth. When a job is worth far more to the client than the hours it takes, price on that value — not your time. A few questions worth asking before you quote:

  • Will this grow their revenue, save them money, or remove a real risk?
  • Is there a deadline or urgency that only you can meet?
  • Is your expertise scarce or hard to replace?
  • Would the cost of getting it wrong dwarf your fee?

If the answer to any of those is yes, the value is well above your floor. Quote for the value — then add your own margin on top.

Figures are estimates to help you set a fair floor — not financial or tax advice. Tax is worked out on your take-home income; business expenses and pension are treated as pre-tax. The rates (or bands) are the ones you enter, not a calculation of what any tax authority will actually charge. Check your own position with an accountant.