ChargeWhat
The freelance rate calculator that works backwards from your take-home pay
About ChargeWhat
Free calculator that tells US and UK freelancers the minimum hourly rate they need — after self-employment tax, state/income tax, and expenses.
Most freelance rate calculators start with your hourly rate and tell you what you'd earn. ChargeWhat works the other way: you enter the take-home pay you actually want, and it tells you the minimum rate you need to charge to get there.
It accounts for the costs most freelancers forget — self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net profit), your US state income tax, health insurance, business expenses, and a profit buffer. The result is a rate grounded in your real numbers, not a guess.
What it calculates:
Minimum hourly rate and recommended rate
Day rate equivalent
Annual billable hours based on your availability
SE tax estimate
Visual breakdown of where your gross revenue goes
"What if I raised my rate?" scenarios
Project quote with scope creep buffer and deposit amount
A UK version is also available for sole traders, covering Income Tax, Class 4 NI, pension contributions, student loan repayments, and the Scottish 6-band tax system.
Free. No signup. No data stored.
Comments (1)
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@tkcashman · 6/15/2026
Built this because I kept seeing freelancers undercharge — not because they didn't value their work, but because they'd never done the actual math. SE tax alone is 15.3% on top of income tax, and most rate calculators don't account for it properly. ChargeWhat works backwards from your real take-home target so the number you get is actually defensible. US and UK versions both free, no signup. Happy to answer any questions!