Day Rate Calculator

Convert a target annual income into a freelance day rate, based on the number of billable days you realistically work in a year.

How it works

A day rate is cleaner to quote than an hourly one and clients read it faster. The trap is the denominator: there are ~250 weekdays a year, but after holidays, admin, pitching and inevitable gaps between projects, 180–210 billable days is realistic. Divide your target by that.

Frequently asked

How many billable days a year should I assume?: Around 180–210 for a busy freelancer. Starting from 250 weekdays and ignoring gaps, holidays and admin will set your rate too low.

Quote the day rate once in a Retainer proposal; it flows straight into the contract and the invoice. Try Retainer free