Work out the hourly rate you need to hit a target annual income, accounting for the fact that billable hours are far fewer than working hours.
How it works
The number people set too low. If you want ₹12L a year and think "that's 2,000 hours at ₹600", you'll fall short — because you don't bill 8 hours a day. Pitching, admin, revisions and gaps between projects mean 4–5 billable hours is realistic. Divide your target by the hours you actually invoice, not the hours you work.
Frequently asked
How many billable hours are realistic for a freelancer?
Most sustainable freelancers bill 4–6 hours a day, not 8. The rest goes to finding work, admin, revisions and rest. Rating yourself on 8 billable hours is the fastest way to underprice.
Should I charge hourly or per project?
Use hourly to find your floor, then quote per project. Clients prefer a fixed price and you keep the upside when you work fast — but you need the hourly number first to know you’re not losing money.
Once you’ve set your rate, Retainer turns it into a proposal, a contract and a GST invoice without you retyping a number. Try Retainer free